CO885-24 — Page 218

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

TTTTTTC.O. 885

24 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

110

MINUTES.

with the Pacific Steam Navigation Company for freight at that rate. They also wished to ship 175 tons of other cargo at the contract rates of 40s. and 458. per ton weight, and they wished the Committee to pay them 5 per cent. for collecting the .freight. As the Pacific Steam Navigation Company could provide them with fairly prompt tonnage, and a better freight could be secured elsewhere, the Committee agreed that negotiations with the company should be given up. It was suggested that the ship should be employed to bring home timber from British Columbia.

11. 8.5. "Gracia."-The Secretary was instructed to ask the Transport Department if they wished to make use of this ship.

12. s.v. "Terpsichore."-Mr. Holt reported that Messrs. R. Thomas and Company, through some misunderstanding, had insured the disbursements on this ship. The Committee recommended that they should be asked to cancel the insurance if possible, but if this could not be done the account should stand, as it had been effected bona fide with the idea that it would be in the interests of the Committee.

"Apolda."-The Committee approved of the 13. Steamships "Hamm" and payment of £4,500 to the Federal Steam Navigation Company in respect of their disbursements on these ships.

S.S.

14. "Tandem."--Mr. Tennyson reported that Mr. Hughes had effected an It was insurance on the freight on this ship, as he thought that this was in the interests of the Committee in case the question of general average were to arise. understood that the insurance could be cancelled, and the Committee decided that this should be done.

15. 8.5. Emir."-Mr. Evans reported the result of his inquiries into the sale of the hemp and sisal on this ship. He added that further inquiries were being made as to the current price of hemp and sisal at the time of the sale. The matter should, therefore, be considered again at the next meeting of the Committee.

The Secretary reported that he had received contracts for the sale of (a) ivory and (b) cotton on this ship.

The Committee then discussed how far it would be desirable to instruct Messrs. Churchill and Sim to sell the condemned cargo on this ship by auction. Finally they decided that Messrs. Churchill and Sim should be informed that, other things being equal, they preferred that the goods should be sold in this way.

16. Accounts.-The Secretary reported to the Committee that their balance on the 31st of May amounted to £167,199 48.

42

17. 8.8. ' Erymanthos.”—The Committee decided that Messrs. James Knott's accounts for the first voyage of this ship should be sent to the Assistant Paymaster- General. At the same time Mr. Holt was requested to point out to Messrs. Knott that no sum was included in the account for insurance, and that, for the purpose of calculating their commission on the profits, some allowance should first be made for the risk taken by the Committee.

" and "Sudmark."--The Committee instructed the 18. Steamships "Lutzow Secretary to transfer Messrs. Harris and Dixon's account for these ships to the War Office, as had been done in the case of the "Derfflinger."

19. 8.8. "Fürth."-The Secretary informed the Committee that he understood that the Chairman had agreed to the bill of sale for this ship being made out to the British Tanker Company The Committee decided that the question of executing a fresh agreement and bill of sale should be left over till the following meeting, but that in the meantime the Secretary should write to Messrs. Waltons and Company and suggest to them that the Anglo-Persian Company should be asked to pay interest in respect of the balance of the purchase money, at the rate of 4 per cent., as from the date when the ship had been handed over to them.

967

MINUTES.

111

THE FIFTY-Seventh MeetING of the Committee was held at the Colonial Office on Thursday, 10th June, 1915, at 3.15 p.m.

The following members were present:-

MR. W. J. EVANS (in the chair). MR G. L. BARSTOW, C.B., Treasury. MR. C. HIPWOOD, 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).

1. The minutes of the previous meeting were confirmed.

2. s.s. "Josephina."-Mr. Holt reported to the Committee the result of his negotiations with Sir R. McBride relative to the conveyance of timber from British Columbia. It was understood that the latter was arranging for the sale of a full cargo of timber and other produce to the Admiralty, and that he had offered to bear all the expenses of shipping the cargo from British Columbia and to pay 10 per cent. on the expenses to the Committee as freight. The Admiralty would be sold the cargo at the f.o.b. price, plus the cost of bringing the timber over, and it was understood that they would thereby secure it at a considerably lower cost than they The Committee recommended that confirmation were now paying for timber.

should be obtained from the Admiralty of the terms on which they had agreed to purchase the timber and the other produce, and, subject to this, the Committee agreed to send the "Josephina" to bring timber or any other produce which had been pur- chased by the War Office or Admiralty on the terms proposed by the Premier of British Columbia.

The Committee recommended that the Governor of the Falkland Islands should be instructed to retain 600 tons of coal instead of 450 tons, and that he should be told that the freight offered by the Falkland Islands Company had not been accepted.

3. s.s. "Koerber."—Mr. Malkin informed the Committee that this ship had Mr. Holt reported that he been ordered to be detained for the period of the war. had been advised that she was most unsuitable for cargo, as she had been built for passenger accommodation, and it was not likely that enough cargo could be carried to cover the expenses of bringing her home to the United Kingdom. The Committee decided that a letter should be sent to the Transport Department giving them particu- lars of the ship, and stating that officers and a Chinese crew had been sent out on the 5th of June, and asking if they would take her over and use her locally. If the ship was not required by the Transport Department the Committee thought that she might be used to bring home some of the condemned cargo about which a report bad been received from the High Commissioner for Egypt.

4. S.S. "Concadoro."—Mr. Holt reported that the ship would be back in the United Kingdom by the 15th of June.

The Committee discussed a letter from Messrs. Charles Russell and Company stating that they had applied for a stay of execution. It was decided that Messrs. Charles Russell should be informed that, as arrangements for selling the ship had already been made, it was not proposed to disturb them pending the result of the application to the Prize Court, and adding that the Procurator at Alexandria had been instructed to hasten the hearing of the application.

5. Steamships “ Altair” and “Emil."-The Secretary was instructed to write to the Transport Department asking them whether they wished to take over these ships.

6.

8.8. "Kalymnos."-The Secretary reported that Messrs. Lachlan had raised the question of their fee for valuing the stores on this ship. The Committee decided to offer a fee of one guinea.

7. Steamships "Lauterfels" and "Werdenfels."-The Committee approved the action of Messrs. Grahams and Company in insuring the enemy cargo discharged from these ships against fire. It was agreed that an insurance need not be effected against war risks.