CO885-24 — Page 172

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

EPIC.O. 885

24 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

18

MINUTES

Bombay, but they did not understand why the question was asked, as they under- stand the practice of the trade is for these freights to be collected on shipment.

18. The Committee also stated that they had no objection to the Indian Gov- ernment being allowed to continue to deal with prize and detained ships as they had been doing hitherto.

80

THE THIRTEEnth Meeting of the Committee was held at the Colonial Officm on Monday, 4th January, 1915, at 3.15 p.m.

The following members were present :---

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

MR. W. J. EVANS, Admiralty.

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

MK G. ROPER, Board of Trade.

Mr. H. W. Malkin, Foreign Office.

MB. L. D. WAKELY, India Office.

MR. C. B. TENNYSON, C.M.G., Colonial Office.

MB. T. H. HOLT, Crown Agents.

MR. R. A. WISEMAN (Secretary),

Sir Henry Johnson was also present during the discussion of (3), (4), and (5).

1. Mr. J. Lowrey, of the Salvage Association, appeared before the Committee to discuss the estimate, which had been prepared by Mr. William Richards, of the coat of moving the steamship "Birkenfels" to Australia. A report of the proceed- ings will be found elsewhere. Mr. Lowrey recommended that an insurance should be taken out against the following risks :—

(a) Loss of life.

(b) Damage to fixed objects.

He thought that £9,500 was a fair estimate to take of the cost of navigating the ship, on the understanding that the Company's own remuneration was left out of account in this figure.

Mr. Lowrey undertook to telegraph to his local agents, instructing them to arrange for cleaning the ship and for any necessary repairs, and asking them to furnish an estimate of the cost and of the date when the ship would be ready to sail.

The Chairman undertook that a telegram should be sent to the naval authori- ties, informing them that the Salvage Association were undertaking the charge of the ship as agents for the Government.

The Committee recommended that a telegram should now be sent to Australia, setting out the expenses which would be involved in moving the ship from Cape Town.

2. A letter from Messrs. Parker, Garrett & Company, relative to the insurance of cargo, was considered by the Committee. Mr. Barstow explained that the policy to be adopted in this matter had not yet been finally settled by the Treasury.

3. Steamship" Schneefels."-Mr. S. Garrett, of the firm of Parker, Garrett & Company, appeared before the Committee with reference to the draft agreement† under negotiation between his firm and Messrs. Waltons & Company. A report of the proceedings will be found elsewhere.*

The draft agreement was considered with Mr. Garrett and approved by the Committee, and, after Mr. Garrett had gone, the agreement with the contractor for the navigation of the ship was read by Sir Henry Johnson and also approved by the Committee.

The Committee recommended that a telegram should be sent to the Government of Gibraltar, reminding them of previous instructions, and supplementing the latter

* See Miscellaneous No. 313. t No. 1 (a) in Appendix B. No. 1 (c) in Appendix B.

MINUTES.

19

by further details as to the procedure to be adopted for the registration of the ship. The Governor should be instructed to ask the local Court to rescind their order för sale, and to order delivery to the Admiralty. In the meantime further inquiries should be made of the Board of Trade and the Customs as to the method of giving the ship a British registry.

It was pointed out that under the agreement a sum was payable to the contractor as soon as the contract with him was signed. Mr. Evans undertook to discuss with the Accountant-General of the Admiralty the means by which the money could be obtained for the purpose of paying him.*

Sir Henry Johnson arranged that he would see Mr. Garrett on the following day in order to procure from the representatives an undertaking to indemnify the proper officer of the Prize Court against all claims which might be made to the

cargo.

4

4. Steamships "Barenfels," "Gutenfels," "Lauterfels," Werdenfels.”— The Committee discussed with Sir Henry Johnson certain suggestions which had been made by the London Chamber of Commerce for a form of agreement for moving these ships.

It was decided that, where a bond had to be given to the Court in respect of cargo to which claims had not been proved, the amount of the bond should be determined by the appraised value of the cargo to which it related.

5. Steamship Australia."-Telegrams which had been received, since the last meeting, from the Governor of Ceylon, were considered by the Committee, but no final decision was reached as to the method of effecting a sale. Mr. Tennyson and Mr. Holt were asked to make further inquiries of the Customs Department as to the proper procedure.

It was decided that the British India Steam Navigation Company should be informed that their terms were considered to be generally satisfactory, but that the Committee could not send a final acceptance of their offer for the present: other tenderers being informed that their offers were not accepted.

6. A letter from Mr. Saltmarsh as to the shortage of shipping on the route to the River Plate was discussed. The Committee thought that their object should be to put some of the detained ships into service as soon as possible. Before doing so, however, they thought that legal opinion should be taken as to the status of such ships if they were registered and sent to a neutral port. Mr. Malkin promised to draft a memorandum and to submit it to the Attorney-General.

7. Steamship "Frisia.”—After discussion of a revised offer which had been received from Mr. Ross for the purchase or charter of this ship, the Committee recommended that a telegram should be sent to the Governor of Hong Kong asking upon what basis the valuation given by the local Government had been made.

8. Steamship "Emir."-The Committee recommended that a telegram should be sent to the Governor of Gibraltar asking for particulars of the cargo on board. and to whom it belonged. Mr. Holt undertook to inquire for what figure Elder Dempster & Company would undertake to bring the ship to the United Kingdom, if the firm were relieved of all insurances except against risks under the Workmen's Compensation Act.

9. Steamship" Bethania."—Mr. Wakely stated that the India Office were anxious to obtain the use of this ship to convey mules from New Orleans to Calcutta. The Chairman stated that he had other plans under consideration for the disposal of this ship. He undertook that the Admiralty would inform the India Office as to the position of the matter.

10. Steamships "Diana," " Apapa,”

"Marina.”—A draft which it was pro-

posed to send to the Registrar of the Admiralty Division of the Supreme Court, asking them to adjudicate upon these ships, was laid before the Committee. The Committee agreed that the "Marina" should be included, and they approved of the draft subject to certain small alterations.

* It was understood that Messrs. Parker, Garrett & Company would pay over the money to the Admiralty before the agreement was signed.

c 2