CO885-(25-26) — Page 639

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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MINUTES.

THE ONE HUNDRED AND FORTIETH MEETING of the Committee was held at the Colonial Office on Monday, the 22nd of January, 1917, at 3.15 p.m.

The following members were present :—

VICE-ADMIRAL SIR E. J. W. SLADE, K.C.I.E., K.C.V.O. (Chairman). MR. W. J. EVANS, Admiralty.

MR. G. L. BARSTOW, C.B., Treasury.

MR. H. W. MALKIN, Foreign Office.

MR. L. D. WAKELY, India Office.

MR. C. TENNYSON, C.M.G., Colonial Office (who acted as Secretary in

the absence of Mr. Wiseman).

MR. T. H. HOLT, Crown Agents.

MR. BEBB attended during the discussion of item 4.

1. The minutes of the One Hundred and Thirty-ninth Meeting were read and confirmed.

2. s.v.

"Bellas."-Mr. Holt reported that this ship had been fixed with.coal from Liverpool to the Plate at 60s., and will be fixed home with grain.

3. s.s.

"Ranee." The Committee decided that the charter of this ship, which would expire on the 15th of March, should be renewed at the same rate of hire (£300 per month), but that Messrs. Glanvill, Enthoven and Company should be consulted as to the desirability of increasing the valuation for the purpose of insurance. They also thought that the charter-party should run for six months or until the conclusion of the present War, whichever period should be the shorter, and that absolute power should be reserved to the Admiralty to decide what date should be that of the conclusion of the War. The Admiralty should be informed of the proposed renewal of the charter.

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4. $.5. Frisia." The Committee considered further the draft claim against the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company. The Secretary was directed to write to the Company agreeing to refer the question to arbitration and asking if the Company would accept Sir Aubrey Brocklebank as arbitrator in the event of his being willing to act. A draft letter for the purpose was approved.

5. s.s." Kandy."-The Committee considered a report which had been received from Mr. Bebb on Messrs. Grahams and Company's accounts for this steamer. They decided (a) that the Admiralty should be asked to bear the whole of the expenses of the ship from the time when the Committee took her over from the India Office until her arrival at Karachi; (b) that these expenses should include an allowance both in respect of the uninsured risks covered by the Committee's insurance fund and also in respect of protection and indemnity risks which had not actually been covered in the present case; (c) that the valuation of coal and stores effected by Messrs. Grahams should be accepted and the amount included in the Committee's claim against the Admiralty, the sum of £283 (Messrs. Kellock and Company's valuation of the coal and consumable stores) being deducted from the amount of the Admiralty's undertaking; (d) that with regard to the charge for victualling the crew the Admiralty and India Office should be asked whether they were in the habit of accepting a charge for victualling based on the scale suggested by Messrs. Grahams.

6. 3.5.

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Koerber."-The Committee considered a letter which had been received from Messrs. Glanvill, Enthoven and Company regarding the average adjustment with regard to this vessel, and also a claim which had been received from the Director of Transports for £1,291 88. 5d. in respect of repairs necessitated by the fire. The Committee decided that the Transport Department's claim should be paid out of the moneys due to the ship on the general average statement when collected, and that the Director of Transports should be informed accordingly.

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7. S.S. Kawak," Voyage 3.-The Committee decided that no objection need be raised to the payments which had been made to Mr. T. R. MacCarthy-Messrs. James Knott, Sons, and Company's Montreal account-for agency fee, commission, and insurance.

MINUTES.

8. 8.9. Barenfels."-The Committee considered a letter which had been received from Messrs. Grahams and Company transmitting various papers relative to the sale of condemned cargo by this steamer. They decided that these papers should be transmitted to the Foreign Office for communication to Alexandria, and that the Foreign Office should be asked what decision had been taken by the Court as to the payment by the banks of the proceeds of sale of enemy cargo ez the "Gutenfels.'

9. 5.3.

Emir." 1,000 bags of ground nuts.-The Committee considered a letter which had beeen received from Messrs. Waltons and Company covering a letter from Messrs. Wallace Brothers, and certain further evidence supplied by the claimants of these nuts. The Secretary was directed to inform Messrs. Waltons that the Committee were unable to take the responsibility of releasing the proceeds of sale of these goods on the evidence which had been supplied, and suggested that Messrs. Wallace should apply to the Prize Claims Committee for the consideration of their case.

10. s.v. "Terpsichore."--The Committee considered a letter from Messrs. William Richards and Son regarding the general average arising from the stranding of this vessel in Long Island Bay. The Secretary was directed to write to the Admiralty inquiring whether they approved of the claim of salvage (a) against the cargo of the ship and (b) against the Committee.

11. Launch and Lighters in Jamaica.-The Secretary reported that the launch "Atlas" and three lighters, Nos. 1-16, 2-16, and 3-16, formerly the property of the Hamburg-American Company, had been condemned by the Prize Court in Jamaica and delivery ordered to the Crown. The Committee recommended that an inquiry should be made as to the present employment of these vessels and as to whether any step had been taken to secure to the Prize Fund, by way of under- taking to the Court or otherwise, the values of the vessels as at the date of condemnation.

12. Committee's Balance. The Committee considered the statement of account for the period to the 31st of December, 1916, showing a balance on that date of £758,531 08. 4d.

13.

Volume for 1916.-The Committee decided that it would be desirable to have a volume of their proceedings for the year 1916 compiled, and the Secretary was directed to secure the necessary information from the Admiralty Coasting Trade Office for inclusion in the proposed volume.

14. Insurance Fund.-The Committee considered a letter from Mr. Bebb pointing out that, although when a ship was lost the practice was to debit the insurance fund with both the value of the ship and the amount of the total disburse- ments incurred on the voyage on which the loss occurred, the fund was credited only in respect of the marine and war risk on the ship. The Committee decided that an additional credit should be given to the fund in respect of premium on the disbursements for each voyage of each ship, and the Secretary was instructed to consult Messrs. Glanvill, Enthoven and Company with a view to securing a rough scale on which this premium could be calculated.

15. Transfer of Mr. Wiseman to the Shipping Controller's Office.-The Com- mittee approved the arrangements which have been made for the transfer of Mr. Wiseman to the Shipping Controller's Office. They recommended that the allow- ance received by Mr. Wiseman as Secretary to the Committee should, as from the 31st of January, be borne by the Shipping Controller for so long as he remained in his office. The Committee decided that it would be desirable that Mr. Jones, of the Colonial Office, should be appointed to act as Assistant to the Secretary and should receive an allowance estimated to cover his average receipts in respect of overtime, with about £30 in addition per annum. As the correspondence regarding Mr. Wiseman's appointment had been conducted between the Colonial Office and the Treasury, the Committee decided that the Colonial Office should be asked to make the necessary arrangements for carrying out the present proposal.

16. Half-yearly Returns of Prize Court Proceedings.-The Committee con- sidered further the Admiralty letter referred to in paragraph 11 of the minutes of their One Hundred and Thirty-seventh Meeting, and recommended that the atten- tion of the Admiralty should be drawn to the terms of the Treasury letter to the Colonial Office of the 2nd December regarding the remuneration of Proper Officers of the Crown.

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MINUTES.