CO885-(7-8) — Page 118

PUBLIC

RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

LITIC.O.885

7

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO

GENTLEMEN,

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Letter from the Telegraph Construction Company. Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company, Limited,

38, Old Broad Street, E.C.

PACIFIO CABLE.

August 14, 1900. IN sending you the enclosed tenders for manufacturing and laying the three sections of this cable, we desire to draw' attention to the following observations, subject to which the tenders are made.

“Forms of Contract,”

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are

Although three “Forms of Contract` set out in the papers, yet-allowing for the necessary differences applicable to the cables-they are in substance one, mid these observations upon the first are in- tended to apply also to the other two.

Page 3. We propose to strike out the words in Article 5, "fourteen days of the signing of the contract," because, having regard to our present commitments, we could not start upon the work for some time, and the precise period within which the manufacture is to commence must be a matter of arrangement when the contracts are entered into should our tenders be accepted.

Pare. In the second paragraph of Article 7. we desire to draw attention to the word Appliances." This we infer does not include electrical instruments, and it is not objected to upon the assumption that the list” referred to will be settledk with the engineer before the contract is .executed.

This seems to us reasonable provided the payment on execution of the contract (par. 4, Art. 15 of Contracts Nos. 1. 2 and 3) is suitably modified.-C. F. & T.

This inference is correct; the Contractors are not intended to provide instruments except temporarily, and until the guarantee period expires.-C. F. & T.

We see no objection to the usual insur- ance clause of the Telegraph Construction Company. We have supervised a great many of their contracts containing this clause, in one case, where a total loss of the cable occurred, and in all instances the results were satisfactory to the Company for whom the cable was being made.

With regard to Article 9, we should be glad if the Committee could see their way to accept our usual insurance clauses in any contract we may be asked to sign. Having regard to our long relationship with the Underwriters, these clauses are well known to them, and in the event of any money's falling due under the policies we should like to be permitted to present and adjust ---C. F. & T. any claims arising thereunder. Our doing so could not in any way prejudice the Com- mittee, whose interests are fully safeguarded in the clauses we suggest. We enclose a copy of these clauses.

Page 6. Article 19 requires to be amended, and should read as follows :--- Any surplus cable remaining out of the lengths specified after the completion of "the contract shall belong to the Com- "mittee and shall be delivered and coiled "into tanks to be erected by the Committee at Fanning Island or into the tanks of

It appears to us that this is the obvious intention of Article 19, The Contractors could not be expected to keep their ship "standing by” if no provision had been made by the Committee for the reception of the surplus cable.-C. F. & T.

"the Committee's Maintenance Ship at that "station unless otherwise agreed between *the Committee and the Contractors. The Committee hereby agree that the said *tanks shall be erected or the said Main- "tenance Ship shall be at Fanning Island "in readiness to receive such surplus cable at the expiration of the 30 consecutive * days mentioned in Article 17."

Vancouver-Fanning Island and Fanning Island-Fiji Specifications. Referring to the alternative methods of making the Conductors mentioned in para graph (A) of these specifications we strongly recommend that the surrounding by copper strips in accordance with our present prae- tice should be adopted. The cost would be the same in either case, but the strip conductor would give better results as to speed and general efficiency.

We

e may also point out that the electrical values of a cable having a 600/340 core recently manufactured by us with the patent strip conductor, shów a considerable improvement upon those in your specifica- tions, and a still further increase of speed could safely be obtained by a slight altera- tion in the ratio of copper to gutta-percha without affecting the cost.

We should wish the words “nor nkope than 1500" struck out in all three specifi- cations of core, as it is contrary to our usual practice to accept a maximum re sistance.

We hand you herewith two boxes—one containing specimens of the different types of cable; those for Specifications Nos. 1 and 2 being made with the strip conductor, and those for Specification No. 3 with the strand conductor, and the other containing samples of the materials to be used in the manufacture.

I am, Gentlemen.

Yours faithfully, (Signed) W. SHUTER,

Managing Director.,

Messrs. Clark, Forde & Tux lor.

4. Great Winchester Street, E.C.

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We quite agree in approving this form of “Conductor," but for obvious reasons we could not specify it except as an alternative, seeing that the patent for it is controlled by the Telegraph Construction Company. -C. F. & T.

We do not see how this can be complied with in fairness to the other Contractors, —C. P. & T.

Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company. Ltd.,

38, Old Broad Street,

14th August, 1900.

•

Article 9. The Contractors shall effect insurances on the Cable until laid, against. Fire and River and Sea Risks, by policies, in the form usually taken by the Contractors, and shall transfer and deliver such policies to the Company, to the full amount of the payments from time to time made to the Contractors,

Article 15. If any part or parts of the Cable hereby contracted for, and in respect of which the Company shall have made payments to the Contractors shall be lost, destroyed or damaged before being laid, and in consequence thereof money shall be payable under all or any of the policies of insurance referred to in Article 9, the Company shall, for the

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