CO885-24 — Page 189

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

TC.O. 885

24 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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1.

MINUTES.

Remuneration of Managers of Admiralty Coasting Trade Office at New- castle.-A letter from Messrs. Newbigin and Everett, accepting the proposal that their remuneration should be limited to a fixed sum of £5,000 a year after payment of all expenses, was read to the Committee. The Secretary was instructed to write to Waltons and Company asking them to revise the draft of the Agreement by including this provision, and by altering the form so that all the conditions should be embodied in the Agreement itself and not be scheduled to it.

2. Steamships" Adolphus” (late “ Adolf”) and “George R." (late “Georg "): -The Chairman informed the Committee that he was awaiting the receipt of a tele- gram from the United States relative to the terms on which the copper which had As soon as this been landed at Gibraltar should be released by the Government. telegram had been received a decision could be reached as regards the shipment of this commodity.

A telegram could then be sent to the Governor of Gibraltar instructing him to send home in these ships the lubricating oil ex Italia" and "Perugia," if it had been condemned. If there was any further quantity of oil on board the "Adolf" or the "Georg" awaiting adjudication it should be left at Gibraltar.

3. Steamships" Birkenfels," "Hamm,” “ Apolda.”-A telegram from Captain Shotton to the Federal Steam Navigation Company was read to the Committee, and, in view of the explanations now given, the Committee agreed that all three ships should be dry-docked.

4. 5.3. Spreewald."-The Committee considered an offer from Messrs. Elder Dempster and Company for the charter of this ship, but did not think that the terms proposed were satisfactory. Mr. Holt undertook to make further inquiries.

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5. 8.8. Josephina."-

."-Mr. Holt informed the Committee that he had sounded Messrs. Farrar, Groves and Company, and the latter had suggested that the ship should be taken to the River Plate for cargo. They calculated that a profit of £3,500 could be earned, subject to a deduction for the cost of the coal and of send- ing the crew out. The Committee agreed that Messrs. Farrar, Groves might be informed that the Committee would be willing to come to terms with them. In the meantime the British Ministers at Monte Video and Buenos Ayres should be asked whether there would be any objection to the sale, in the Argentine or Uruguay respectively, of a prize cargo of coal.

6. 8.8. Ranee." The Committee approved an offer from Mr. Somerville, the Managing Director of the Straits Steamship Company, to charter this ship at the rate of 1,000 dollars a month, on the same terms as those which had been arranged in the cases of the "Rajaburi" and "Quarta."

7. Steamships “Chow Tai," " Sandakan.”—Mr. Holt informed the Committee that he had learned from Mr. Somerville that these ships had been chartered to his firm for a voyage to North Borneo without payment. The Committee recommended that a telegram should be sent to the Governor of the Straits Settlements, asking for the terms on which these ships had been chartered.

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8. 8.5. Syra."-A telegram had been received from His Majesty's Consul- General at Alexandria, stating that he had provisionally appointed Messrs. Barker and Company as agents to deal with the cargo on this ship. The Committee agreed that the Consul-General's proposals might be approved.

9. 8.8. "Erymanthos."-The Committee recommended that the Governor of Malta should be informed that he might sell locally the cement, shovels, timber, and any other cargo landed from this ship which was not railway material. As regards the latter, the Committee thought that the despatch promised by the Governor might be awaited.

10. 8.8.

"Heinz."-The Committee considered an offer from Messrs. Mitchell, Cotts and Company, offering £5,000 for this vessel. Mr. Tennyson explained that the Prize Court had not yet adjudicated upon the ship, and the Committee recom- mended that a telegram should be sent to South Africa asking that the proceedings in the Court might be expedited, and asking the local Government whether they recommended the acceptance of this firm's offer.

11. Steamships “Derfflinger," "Sudmark." The Committee considered a tele- gram from His Majesty's High Commissioner in Egypt, stating that both these ships bad been requisitioned by the military authorities for urgent military purposes. In

MINUTES.

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the case of the "Derfflinger a charter party had already been arranged, and a protest received from the charterers as to the requisitioning. The Committee thought that the charterers' agents should be informed that no claim against the Crown for loss caused by the action of the military authorities could be recognized, but that the Committee would, without prejudice, endeavour to make arrangements to allow them to have the use of the "Lutzow." The Committee gathered that it was possible that all the ships at Alexandria might shortly be requisitioned for military purposes, and they therefore instructed the Secretary to make inquiries of the War Office as to the exact position. Pending these inquiries Mr. Holt was asked to hold up all arrangements for the employment of the ships at Alexandria.

12. Report on position of Ships. Mr. Holt reported to the Committee with regard to the "Gibraltar," "Frisia," "Kawak," "Erymanthos," "Rooke," "Syra,"

Annaberg," and "Helgoland."

13. 8.8. "Fürth."-The Committee decided that the Admiralty should now be asked to consent to the sale of this ship, for £55,000, to the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, who had agreed to purchase her at this figure.

14, 8.8. 'Gutenfels."—Mr. Malkin informed the Committee of the position of the negotiations in regard to this ship.

15. Insurance of Chartered Ships.—The Secretary explained that he had been asked by Messrs. Mitchell, Cotts and Company to obtain a quotation for the insurance of the "Diana" against marine and war risks. He had spoken to Mr. Glanvill upon the subject, and the latter had recommended that, in cases where ships were chartered to private firms on the condition that the insurance should be effected by the latter, the policies should be taken out by the Committee and the premium subsequently charged to the charterers. The Committee agreed that Mr. Glanvill might be informed that in similar cases the insurances would bò effected in the manner recommended by him.

16. Insurance of Cargo at Gibraltar.-The Committee thought that the question of the insurance of copper, etc., awaiting adjudication at Gibraltar should be discussed with Mr. Glanvill.

17. Messrs. Hartley Cooper's claim for Brokerage. The Committes decided that Waltons and Company should be instructed to negotiate with Mesars. Hartley Cooper and Company on the lines recommended by them. The brokers should be informed that the matter had been referred to the Committee's solicitors.

18. Accounting Arrangements.—In reply to a question which had been raised by Mr. Bebb, the Committee considered that the accounts for ships to be kept by the Assistant Paymaster for Supreme Court business should be divided under the following heads:-

(1) Ships captured by the naval forces of the Crown.

(2) Ships entitled to the benefit of the Hague Convention, No. 6, of 1907. (8) Droits of Admiralty.

As regards the other points raised by Mr. Bebb, the Committee thought that it would be desirable that he and Mr. Robinson, of the Treasury, should be asked to attend the following meeting of the Committee.

19. A letter from the India Office, relative to the desire of the Indian Govern- ment to be allowed the use of detained and condemned ships, was read to the Committee.

369

THE THIRTY-FIRST MEETING of the Committee was held at the Colonial Office on Monday, 1st March, 1915, 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, G.B., Treasury.

MR. C. HIFWOOD, Board of Trade.

MR. H. W. MALKIN, Foreign Office.

MR. L. D. WAKELY, India Office.

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

MR. R. A. WISEMAN (Secretary).