CO885-24 — Page 227

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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19

Reference :-

C.O. 885

24 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

128

MINUTES.

The Governor-General should be asked to instruct the Captain to comply with the Admiralty instructions as if the ship were insured in a club under the Govern. ment War Risks scheme.

4. 3.3. "Koerber."-Mr. Holt reported that the loading of this ship was to begin on the 8th of July.

The Secretary read a letter from the Transport Department agreeing to bear so much of the cost of bringing the ship home as was not covered by the freight.

"Kawak."--Mr. 5. Steamships "Erymanthos," Kalymnos," and reported that he had agreed to the following valuations for these ships for the purpose of calculating the allowances for risks which were not insured :--

44

44

Erymanthos Kalymnos Kawak

23

£45,000

£20,000

£24,000

Holt

It was understood that Messrs. James Knott, Sons, and Company were to obtain a quotation for a rate of premium from their brokers.

6. S.S. 'Helgoland.”—Mr. Holt reported that the Wheat Committee had extended the cancelling date of this ship.

7. S.S.

Bangor."—Mr. Holt reported that Elder Dempster and Company had agreed to bring home the original crew of the "Bangor" from Sierra Leone at their contract rates with the Admiralty, namely, £23 10s. first class, £17 1s. second class, £10 98. third class. The Committee estimated that the cost of sending the prize a fresh crew out would and original crews home from West Africa and of sending amount to something between £500 and £600. It was agreed that the Governor of the Falkland Islands might now be authorized to allow the ship to leave.

The Foreign Office were to be informed of the arrangements made, in order that they might communicate with the Norwegian Minister.

As regards the sale of the cargo of coal in West Africa, the Committee decided that Messrs. Elder Dempster and Company were to be allowed a commission of 11 per cent. only on that portion of the coal sold to private persons at Sierra Leone, and not on that sold to the local Governments.

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8. S.D. Par." The Committee recommended that the Governor should be asked whether he could sell the ship locally and of what the cargo consisted. Messrs. C. W. Kellock and Company should also be asked whether they would recommend the sale in the United Kingdom of the ship while lying in the Colony.

9. 8.0. 'Chile." Mr. Holt reported that the repairs to this ship would cost about £70. The Secretary was instructed to ask the Transport Department whether the C.F. 21 was in the service of the Admiralty and whether she had reported being in collision.

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Haidar Pasha,' Achaia," and "Paros."- 10. Steamships "Annaberg,” The Secretary read a letter from the Transport Department giving particulars as to the arrangements made by the military authorities at Alexandria with regard to these ships.

11. s.s. "Fürth."-The Committee decided that the account for £15 18s. 6d. forwarded by Messrs. C. W. Kellock and Company for the valuation of this ship might be paid.

The Secretary was instructed to ask the Admiralty Marshal what steps he was taking for the enforcement of the condition forbidding the transfer of a prize ship to a foreigner during a period of five years from the conclusion of the war.

12. Steamships "Kalymnos" and "Græcia."-The Secretary read a letter from the Transport Department relative to the employment of these two ships.

13. Accounts.-The Secretary informed the Committee that their balance on the 30th of June amounted to £176,268 158. 4d.

14. 8.8. "Tergestea."-The Committee agreed that they could not entertain any application from the former owners of this ship to share in the profits obtained from her employment. The case was clearly distinguishable from that of the "Alfa," which had never been before the Prize Court at all,

1130

MINUTES.

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THE SIXTY-SIXTH MEETING of the Committee was held at the Colonial Office on Monday, the 12th July, 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. 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.

8.8. "Bangor."The Committee discussed the principle which should be adopted in calculating the appraised value of the coal on this ship. They decided that the Court should be asked to appraise the coal at the amount which it would fetch on the West Coast of Africa, the nearest available market, less the cost of carriage from the Falklands to West Africa. The estimated value in West Africa for this class of coal was understood to be £2 a ton under present conditions.

3. 8.8 "Pindos." The Committee considered a letter from Messrs. Elder Dempster showing how their steamers had been reduced since the beginning of the war. Out of 72 which were in the West African service on the 1st of August, 28 were no longer running. Of these 28, thirteen were in Government service, three had been torpedoed, three interned, three sold to the Government, five lost by fire, or through marine risks, and one had sustained damages necessitating extensive repairs. The Company also represented that the congestion at Liverpool prevented them from making the full use of the steamers still at their disposal.

The Secretary also read a letter from the Transport Department, stating that shipping was urgently needed to load 55.000 tons of sugar from America during the current month.

The Committee recommended that Mr. Holt should make inquiries of the Sugar Commission as to the exact position. They could then decide whether the "Pindos" should be allocated to Messrs. Elder Dempster or used for taking sugar.

4. Cargo at Alexandria in which Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Cor- poration are interested.-The Committee discussed a letter from the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation on this subject. They decided to ask a repre sentative of the Bank to appear at the next meeting.

5. Other ships.-The Committee also discussed the position of the s.V. "Yawry," 8.8. Græcia," s.8. 'Quarta," and the s.s. "Gutenfels."

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6. 8.5. "Emir."-The Secretary read a further letter relative to the sale of the hemp and sisal on this ship. He was instructed to reply that the matter was now closed, and that no useful purpose would be served by continuing the correspondence. Thomas Cook and Son were to be informed that if the Committee received no further communication within the next fortnight as to the two cases of trophies for which they had put in a claim, the cases would be sold in order to prevent an accumulation of warehouse charges.

The Secretary reported the sale of

(a) 75 bales of cotton,

(b) 19 cwts. of cotton seed.

7. 8.3. "Adolphus."-Messrs. Tyzack and Branfoot's charges for the first four voyages of this ship were passed, with the exception of an item for brokerage paid to their London agent in respect of the cargo of copper from Gibraltar on the first voyage.

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