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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 885

8

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE. LONDON'

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

22

Letter from the CROWN AGENTS FOR THE COLONIES to the Honourable the COLONIAL

SIR,

SECRETARY, Fiji.

(C.C. Requisition, No. 31520.)

April 9, 1900.

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, No. 705/1900, of the 16th of February, complaining that the ship's anchor lights, supplied under the above requisition, were damaged in transit.

Kkemore I enclose a report we have received from our Birmingham agents, Messrs. V. and Crown R. Blakemore, through whom the lamps were obtained, and have to state that we rents, have, to save time, ordered the replacement of the lenses as originally supplied.

Tiril 5,

I have, &c.,

M. A. CAMERON.

Letter from Messrs. V. and R. BLAKEMORE to CROWN AGENTS FOR THE COLONIES.

GENTLEMEN,

Fiji-Harbour-Requisition 31520.

April 5, 1900. WE beg to reply that the anchor lamps supplied were not of cheap construction, but equal quality to those supplied to the Admiralty and leading steamship companies. They were made of the best rolled copper, and mounted with cast brass guards, handles and fitments, and such as supplied for many years to various Colonies without com- plaint.

We think the Harbour Master must have been comparing them with lighthouse fittings, which cost ten times more at least.

With respect to the lenses, we are unable to account for one arriving cracked; they were perfect when sent, and every care taken in the packing. These large lenses cannot be made entirely without flaws except at an enormous expense.

With regard to the supply of two new glasses, we should be glad to know which of the following to supply:-

Dioptric circles, 12 inches by 9 inches, exactly as supplied with the lamps,

47s. 6d. each.

The same cut through vertically into two sections, which may be found to

answer better, 95s. each.

Dioptric circles, 12 inches by 9 inches, polished all over, 58s. each. The same cut through vertically into two sections, and polished, 115s. each. We

may

add that an experienced workman will be necessary to refix the lenses in the lamps.

34845

· No. 18.

Yours, &c.,

ORANGE RIVER COLONY.,

V. AND R. Blakemore.

DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR GOOLD-ADAMS to HIGH COMMISSIONER LORD MILNER.

(Received in Colonial Office, October 5, 1901.)

¡

(No. 2415/1901. 6.)

Government Offices, Bloemfontein, Orange River Colony,

September 3, 1901.

to

MY LORD,

I HAVE the honour to inform you that the Secretary of State's circular of 1st June last, relative to the manner in which the Crown Agents for the Colonies transact the commercial business entrusted them has received my careful consideration. As the Administration of this Colony lias not, as yet, found it necessary to call upon the Crown Agents to act for them in any business transaction of great importance, it is impossible for me to make any comments at this stage based upon my experience here upon the business-like efficiency of that office. I am not even aware whether it has been decided that the Crown Agents are to act permanently for the new territories, or if some other arrangement is to be made in the direction of the appointment of special representatives for them in England.

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As, however, I have personally had business transactions with the Crown Agents during the past twelve years, whilst holding the positions of Commanding Officer of the Bechuanaland Border l'olice, and also as Resident Commissioner of the Bechuana- land Protectorate, I think I may be considered to have had sufficient experience of their methods of conducting business to justify me in personally furnishing you with some remarks thereon.

I observe that the Secretary of State expressly asks in the circular under acknow- ledgment for facts and not for generalities. In so doing I presume he intends and desires that those to whom it is addressed should confine themselves to distinct instances where the Crown Agents have made mistakes or been negligent. I do not purpose, however, to deal with facts of this description. The facts to which I venture to allude might, perhaps, be styled generalities, but they are of such serious importance to the Colony at present under ny administration that I consider that I am in duty bound to call attention to them.

The first point which I wish to raise is the fact that goods ordered through the Crown Agents are accepted by them in London and paid for at once. The Colony to which such goods are then despatched is bound by the action of the Crown Agents and must accept the gools sent to them whether the same are in exact accordance with their order or not.

My second point is that the Colonies have no power of imposing any penalty upon the Crown Agents for any mistake or negligence on their part in the ordering or despatch of goods.

These two points ire of vital concern to any Colony ordering goods from England. Were Colonial Goverments at liberty to call for tenders for the supply of goods there is not the slightest doubt that many local tenders would be received, especially in South Africa, where there are now very large local business firms, or men on the spot repre- senting large Englishhouses, who could safely be entrusted to carry out satisfactorily the terms of any reasonable contract. With the acceptance of local tenders, the goods need not be paid for unti they are actually delivered, and, if found not to be in accordance with the terms of he order, the purchaser is not obliged to accept them. This in itself is a penalty on the person or firm supplying which we cannot insist upon when dealing with the Cown Agents. It may be urged that by calling for local tenders the Colony purchasingis limited to dealing with a few firms only, and consequently may not obtain its gools as cheaply as where competition is keen. This may, no doubt, be the case, but I consider that generally speaking the increased cost is amply con- pensated for by the fact that the goods need not be taken unless satisfactory, and that there can be no isk of incurring occasional heavy losses through being obliged to dis- pose of goods, which are not satisfactory, on their arrival from England.

There is a nird point which I think it is also desirable to mention. The Crown Agents, as I think it will be generally admitted, are too apt when ordering goods to overlook the fac that each separate locality requires a special class of goods. In this respect they refect the well known tendency of many English firms, which the Secre- tary of State has done so much to correct, viz., to force goods of an unsuitable character upon unwillingColonial purchasers. The goods may be excellent of their kind, but for one reason or nother, due to the difference of cliniate or other local conditions, they are not what he Colonial Government wants, or would choose for itself, if it could make the seletion. This consideration applies with special force to the Colonies like the Transvaal and that which I have the honour to administer, inasmuch as they have both been for many years self-governing States, and have thus grown accustomed to enjoy complee liberty of choice in such matters. It may be urged that by lodging with the Crown Agents certain sealed patterns of the goods required, this cause of com- plaint could e óbviated, but as before stated, errors do occur, and then the purchaser has no remey or redress. Moreover, in dealing with large Colonies which have large requirement it is absolutely impossible to have sealed patterns of all the goods required, lodged withthe Crown Agents.

His Excelacy

Th High Commissioner, Johannesburg.

I have, &c.,

H. GOÒLD-ADAMS, Deputy Administrator, Orange River Colony.

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36046

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- (No. 361.)

SIR,

No. 19.

HONG KONG.

GOVERNOR SIR H, A. BLAKE to MR. CHAMBERLAIN.

(Received October 14, 1901)

Government House, Hong Kong, September 12, 1901. In reply to your circular despatch of the 1st June, 1901, I have the honour to transmit to you the enclosed list of complaints made against the Crown Agents in regard to the commercial business entrusted to them, during the years 1898, 1899, and 1900. In the great majority of cases the fault appears to have been in the careless packing of the articles forwarded to this Government.

Enclosure in No. 19.

C. F. O. No.

Crown Agents Requisition No.

Bill of Lading

No.

I

!

!

2527-98

28,802

15 775

2083/08

28,373

15:416

227/98

29,141

16816

1715/98 ! 27.763

15/203

2325'98

28,464

15/667