CO885-24 — Page 169

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

PILL CO. 885

24 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

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MINUTES.

the lines which had already been laid down, and it was also recommended that the negotiations with Messrs. Howard, Houlder & Company for navigating the ship to the United States should be pushed forward as quickly as possible. The draft agreement between the Admiralty and the representatives of the cargo owners was read to the Committee and generally approved, but it was recommended that, in view of the fact that the Admiralty were parties to the agreement, the Treasury Sir H. Solicitor should be asked to examine it at some time before execution. Johnson was asked to consider whether it would be convenient to make the con- tractor a party to the agreement, and whether the terms of the agreement with the contractor for navigating the ship should be scheduled to the agreement with the representatives of the cargo holders.

Sir Henry Johnson asked that the Government of Gibraltar should also be asked to specify the shipments which the Attorney-General regarded as doubtful, in order that it might be ascertained, by reference to the manifests, on what items of the cargo it was necessary that bail should be given. It was also decided to ask the Governor what amount (if any) would be payable to the Court in respect of the release.

It was thought that the ship should be registered in the name of some official at the Admiralty. It was also recommended that before the ship sailed the United States Ambassador should be informed of the fact.

4. Steamship "Fürth."-The Committee recommended that this ship should be insured without delay, and Mr. Holt, undertook to see the Commercial Union on the following day. The cost of the insurance could be met later from funds placed at the disposal of the Committee.

As regards the possibility of disposing of the "Fürth," it was stated to the Committee that there was likely to be further delay in settling the conditions of sale.

5. Steamship "Leda."-The Chairman stated that he understood that this ship would be requisitioned by the Government, and that he proposed that the Admiralty should raise the question whether the Prize Fund should not be indemnified by the Government for the cost of hiring this ship.

6. Steamship "Annaberg.”—A letter from Messrs. Frederick Huth & Com- pany, stating that it was particularly desirable that this vessel should be ordered to London intact, in view of her having a cargo of wool on board, was considered by the Committee. It was recommended that the Company should be asked to send a representative to discuss the matter with the Committee at a subsequent meeting.

7.

It was recommended that a copy of Lloyd's Register should be obtained and paid for out of the funds of the Committee.

8. A letter explaining the action which had been taken by the Indian Govern ment with regard to ships detained within its jurisdiction, and a letter from Messrs. Witherington and Everett, relative to the shortage of tonnage, were laid before the Committee.

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THE NINTH MEETING of the Committee was held at the Colonial Office on Monday, the 14th of December, 1914, 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. G. ROPER, Board of Trade.

MR. H. L. MALKIN, Foreign Office.

MR. L. D. WAKELY, India Office.

MR. C. B. TENNYSON, Colonial Office. MR. T. H. HOLT, Crown Agents.

MR. R. A. WISEMAN (Secretary).

1. Mr. J. Lowrey, of the Salvage Association, appeared before the Com- mitted to give his views with regard to the offer of the Federal Steam Navigation Company to take on to Australia the ships detained in South Africa. The report of his evidence will be found in the volume of Minutes of Evidence (Miscellaneous No. 313); but it will be convenient to summarize his principal recommendations here.

Mr. Lowrey suggested:

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(a) That a telegram should be sent to South Africa to ascertain what crews

were available locally for the ships in question.

(b) That Mr. Hughes's offer might be criticized on the following grounds: (1) That the estimate of time to be employed on the journey to Australia

was a liberal one.

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That a smaller crew would be sufficient.

That the estimate of coal required was high.

That if the crew could be reduced the estimate of stores would be correspondingly reduced.

That the estimate of insurance was high.

That the necessity for a supercargo was doubtful.

That the rate of war risk insurance on the hull could now be reduced.

(8) That the elimination of war risk insurance would reduce the rate

of insurance on disbursements.

(9) That the rate of insurance in respect of the cargo could be reduced. (c) That it would be difficult to hire the ships out on the basis that the con- tractor should take all the risks, without thereby running the risk of obtaining an estimate which might prove to be considerably in excess of the actual cost of removing the ships.

Mr. Lowrey was also asked whether the Salvage Association would be prepared to act as agents for the Committee in the event of its being decided to charter ships. Mr. Lowrey stated that the Association would be pleased to place the services of the Association at the disposal of the Committee. He explained that the fees charged by the Association were fixed at a rate which was estimated to cover the cost of the time and trouble incurred, and that the Association was not a dividend-paying concern.

2. Report of the Committee to His Majesty's Government. The Committee then considered the draft Report which had been prepared by the Chairman for submission to the Treasury. After making a few revisions in the wording, the Committee decided that the Report should be printed and submitted to them at the next meeting.

It was also decided that, in sending the Report to the Treasury, a separate letter should be sent by the Secretary, asking specifically for authority to engage a shipping firm, or firms, to act as agents for the Committee.

The Committee also recommended that the detained vessels in Nigeria should

be adjudicated on by a Prize Court. It was suggested that the Court in the United Kingdom might be willing to take cognizance of the matter.

3. Steamship "Frisia."-A letter from Mr. C. H. Ross, on behalf of Messrs. Jardine, Matheson & Company, offering to charter or buy this ship, was considered by the Committee. The Committee decided that Mr. Ross should be informed that his offer was not suitable.

4. Steamship Australia."-The Committee recommended that, subject to the necessary authority having been obtained from His Majesty's Government, the Governor of Ceylon should be authorized to dispose of this ship as he thought fit, and that Messrs. Glover Brothers, who had offered their services in arranging for a homeward cargo for the ship, should be invited to put themselves in communication with the Governor.

5. Letters from Messrs. Lachlan & Company and the Modern Transport Company were also dealt with.

*The report ss finally settled is given as No. 1 in Appendix A.

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