CO885-(25-26) — Page 643

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سيا

PUBLIC RECORD

OFFICE

Reference :-

CO.885/25

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

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MINUTES.

16. 8.5. Apolda." The Committee approved the arrangements which had been made by the Secretary for the renewal of the charter to Messrs. Millars and Company for a single voyage, and for the amendment of the agreement so as to provide for the remuneration to the Federal Steam Navigation Company at a rate of one-and-a-quarter per cent. on earnings and two-and-a-half per cent. on

disbursements.

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17. Railway Material ex s.8. Erymanthos."-The Committee agreed that a claim for dues from the Alexandra (Newport and South Wales) Docks and Rail- way, which had been received via the Admiralty, might be met by the brokers and included in their accounts if they saw no objection to the payment.

18. Insurance of Cargoes at Alexandria.-The Committee considered corres- pondence which had taken place between the Foreign Office and the High Commis- sioner for Egypt regarding the extension of the cover in the case of released goods to the date of delivery in each case, instead of to the date of the order of release only. They directed the Secretary to ascertain from Messrs. Glanvill, Enthoven, and Company whether the underwriters would agree to this extension.

19. s.s. "Frisia."-The Committee considered a letter which had been received from the Peninsular and Oriental Company regarding the accounts of this vessel, and decided that Mr. Shields and Mr. Hill should be asked to attend the next meeting. of the Committee.

20. 8.8. "Senegambia."--The Committee considered a letter which had been received from the Peninsular and Oriental Company regarding this ship's accounts, and a letter from the Assistant Paymaster-General commenting on the same. They recommended that an inquiry should be made of the Governors of Hong Kong and the Straits Settlements with regard to the charge for repairs, and that the Com- pany should be asked to forward an extract from the ship's articles or some other documentary evidence in support of their statement with regard to the grant of passages back to Hong Kong and bonuses to the officers. also to supply further details regarding the voucher for tallying. The Secretary was also to ask the Assistant Paymaster-General to ascertain from Messrs. F. Strick and Company the cost of victualling the crew during the succeeding voyage.

21. Purchase by the Nigeria Government of Tugs and Lighters captured in German West Africa.-The Committee recommended that the Foreign Office should be asked whether the agreement with the Allied Governments regarding the sales of prize vessels would prevent the sale to the Government of Nigeria of these small craft, assuming that no difficulty arose through the agreement for the division between the British and French Governments of the vessels seized as prize at Duala.

22. Prize Claims Committee.-Grants arising out of cases at Alexandria.— The Committee considered a letter which had been received from the Foreign Office asking whether they agreed to the suggestion that notification should be made to them of grants made by the Prize Claims Committee in respect of ships and cargoes adjudicated at Alexandria. The Secretary was instructed to reply agree- ing to this suggestion, and to transmit a copy of the correspondence to the India Office.

23. Oversea Ships Deposit Account.-The Committee considered the accounts to 31st January, 1917, which had been received from the Assistant Paymaster- General, showing a balance on that date of £775,457 18s. 5d.

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THE ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-FIFTH MEETING of the Committee was held at the Colonial Office on Monday, the 5th of March. 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. T. H. HOLT, Crown Agents.

MR. C. TENNYSON, C.M.G., Colonial Office, acted as Secretary. Messrs. Shields and Hill, of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, attended the Committee during the discussion of items 2 and 3.

Mr. Bebb attended during the discussion of items 2, 3, and 4.

2.

5.8.

MINUTES.

1. The minutes of the One Hundred and Forty-fourth Meeting were confirmed. "Frisia." The representatives of the Peninsular and Oriental Com- pany agreed to submit to the Committee an amended account on the following lines :-- (a) Charge for passage of "Nile" crew from Kobe to Hong Kong.—The Com- mittee were to refund the Company the amount disbursed by them for passages by steamers not belonging to the Company of such of the officers and crew employed in the "Frisia as were not redundant, the Company to make no further claim in respect of this matter.

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(b) Complement. The Company agreed to deduct from the charge for wages and victualling a sum of £68 monthly, for wages of ratings agreed to be excessive, and a further sum for the victualling of these ratings.

(c) Charges between 26th June and 3rd July, 1915.-The Company agreed to render these to the Transport Department. The account was to be sent to the Committee to be certified, as the vouchers could not be separated from those already supplied to the Committee.

(d) Linen, etc., not accounted for. The Company agreed to allow the Com- mittee £60 in respect of the nautical instruments purchased at Hong Kong; also to allow the cost of linen purchased in Hong Kong and not traceable on delivery to the Transport Department, less thirty per cent. for wear and tear.

(e) Diversion to Singapore.-This point was held over pending inquiry. (f) Lifeboats.-This point was also held over pending inquiry.

(g) Lascar Pay-sheets.-The Company's representatives handed these over to Mr. Bebb.

3. s.s. "Senegambia.”—(a) Freight discrepancies.-The Committee accepted the Company's explanation.

(b) Amount of cargo carried. The Company's representatives explained that the ship was fully loaded with measurement cargo when she left her last port of loading. The apparent small quantity of cargo carried was caused through no weight cargo being obtainable and the steamer being a bad measurement carrier. The Committee accepted this explanation.

(c) Victualling.-The Company agreed to examine the accounts with regard to this.

(d) Company's Commission. It was agreed that the net freight, for purposes of calculating the commission, should be fixed by deducting from the gross freight The all rebates, coasting freights and forwarding charges, and brokerages. Company agreed that the agency charges for Penang £2 2s. 2d., Ditotei £3 3s. 5d., and Marseilles £9 118. 8d. should be regarded as covered by the Company's com- mission, and should not be charged against the Committee at all.

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4. S.S. Nicolaos." The Committee considered a letter from Messrs. T. R. The Committee decided Miller & Sons regarding the claims for damaged cargo.

that they would contribute £5 with a view to a settlement of the claim, but that, if Messrs. Miller could not effect a settlement, they should be authorized to refuse arbitration, and offer, on behalf of the Committee. to defend any action which the claimants might think fit to take.

5. Admiralty Coasting Trade Office Report for 1916.-The Committee approved the report, which had been received from the Organizing Secretary, for inclusion in the printed volume of their proceedings for the year 1916.

6. Future of the Committee.-The Committee discussed the question whether arrangements could not be made to obviate the necessity of having meetings for dealing with matters of detail. They decided that Mr. Holt and Mr. Tennyson should be constituted a sub-committee to deal with current questions (including questions arising on the accounts) not involving matters of principle. The sub- committee were, in cases of doubt, to refer points to the Chairman, the Accounting Officer, Mr. Malkin, or Mr. Wakely, all or any of them, as might be necessary, and meetings of the full Committee should be summoned where the sub-committee considered this necessary. Mr. Bebb would submit for the full Committee's approval, when necessary, a statement of any points requiring its sanction, and the sub-committee would report progress to the full Committee when it met.