CO885-24 — Page 231

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

CO. 885

24 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

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12.

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MINUTES.

and

Steamships Hamm

Apolda."-Mr. Tennyson explained the arrangements which it was desired to conclude with Millar's Timber and Trading Company for the use of these two ships. It was proposed that the original agree- ment should be rescinded and a new one concluded charging a fixed rate of freight for the carriage of sleepers from Australia estimated to cover the expenses of the voyages, giving the Committee the benefit of any freight carried on the return voyages to Australia, and extending the agreement so as to enable all sleepers which were The Com- required by the Union Government to be carried in these two steamers. mittee were informed that the Union Government had made strong representations as to their need for the two ships for the additional voyages that would be required, and they agreed that an arrangement on the lines indicated might be concluded without further reference to them.

13. 8.8. "Emir."-The Secretary informed the Committee of the substance of a telegram which had been received by Messrs. Elder Dempster and Company as to the extent of the damage to this ship.

The Committee approved of the recommendation of Messrs. Churchill and Sit that certain goods which could not be disposed of might be destroyed.

The Secretary informed the Committee that an affidavit had now been received giving further particulars as to the position of the claimants to the 4,220 bags of mangrove bark.

The Committee approved the proposal that the claims should be referred to the Prize Court at Gibraltar. They recommended that the Attorney- General should be invited to apply to the Court for an order for sale and to ask that any release should be conditional on the payment of all the charges which had been incurred.

14. Application of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation.—The Secretary reported that the bank had agreed to the Committee's proposals with regard to the unreleased cargo at Alexandria in which they were interested.

15.

8.0. "Chile.”—The Committee approved the payment of £2,050 to Mr.

T. A. Shute.

16. 8.0. "Llandaff."-The Committee approved the payment of £2,000 to John Stewart and Company.

17. The Committee noted an application which had been addressed by Messrs. H. E. Moss and Company to the Admiralty, asking that they might be appointed as brokers for the sale of some of the oversea prize ships.

"

18. 8.D. "Pax."-Mr. Holt reported that Messrs. Kellock and Company strongly recommended that this ship should be brought home to the United Kingdom and sold bere. He was considering whether any freight could be obtained for the voyage.

19. 5.3. 'Kandy."-The Committee were of opinion that the Anchor Line should claim direct from the Admiralty for the expenses incurred in sending this ship to Alexandria on her way to India. Mr. Holt was to see Captain Segrave on the subject.

20. 8.8. "Bangor."-The Committee agreed that Messrs. Elder Dempster and Company should be instructed to allow the Colony of Togoland to have from 1,200 to 1,500 tons of coal at 40s. a ton.

1180

THE SEVENTIETH Meeting of the Committee was held at the Colonial Office on Monday, 26th July, 1915, at 3.15 p.m.

The following members were present:-

1.

VICE-ADMIRAL SIR È. 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. 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).

The minutes of the previous meeting were confirmed.

MINUTES.

137

2. 3.8. "Istria."--The Secretary reported that he had discussed with a repre- sentative of Messrs. Houlder, Middleton and Company the question of the valuation of the consumable stores on board this ship. No valuation had been made at Alexandria when the ship was taken over. There were, however, on board the con- sumable stores which had been valued by Messrs. Lachlan and Company at Hull at £253 18. 1d. These stores had been taken over with the ship, but they had not been used by Messrs. Houlder, Middleton during the voyage, and the firm had suggested that it would be convenient to accept Messrs. Lachlan's valuation at Hull as the value at Alexandria. The Committee agreed to this, and also agreed that, to prevent a double payment being made, the figure of £253 18. 1d. should be added to the value of the ship for the purpose of the undertaking given by the Transport Department. In addition to the consumable stores mentioned above there were on board at Alexandria 26 tons of coal. The Committee agreed that the value of these might be taken to be 50s. a ton, which was the valuation fixed for the coal on the s.8. "Lauterfels."

The Committee decided that the proceeds of the sale of certain dunnage which had been on board the ship at Alexandria, and eventually sold at Hull, should be paid into the Committee's account.

3. 9.5. "Kandy."-Captain Segrave had recommended that the whole of the expenses of sending the ship to Karachi should be borne by the Transport Depart- ment, as the ship had been prevented from earning freight owing to the fact that she carried stores to Alexandria. Mr. Holt undertook to prepare a memorandum on the subject for consideration at the next meeting of the Committee.

4. The Fourth Interim Report.*--The Secretary read to the Committee a Treasury minute containing the decision of His Majesty's Government upon the Committee's recommendations.

The Secretary was instructed to write to the Admiralty to ask for a decision as to the sale of the "George R.," "Adolphus," "Thor," and “Emil.”

5. Steamships" Hamm” and "Apolda."-The Committee discussed a tele- gram from the Union of South Africa asking that these ships might be made avail- able for the transport of maize or other produce from Australia when returning The Committee from there to South African ports for their cargoes of sleepers. discussed at some length the terms on which it would be possible to transfer the ships to the South African Government. It was eventually decided to inform the South African Government that the ships would be handed over for the carriage of all the sleepers, that the ships must be chartered to Australia at the market rate of freight, and that a decision as to the ultimate incidence of the profits and expenses of the voyages must be left for subsequent settlement when a decision had been arrived at by His Majesty's Government upon the general question of a detained ship's fund. The Federal Steam Navigation Company were to be instructed to arrange for the ships to take a cargo of maize to Australia at the current rate of freight.

6. 8.8. Kalymnos."—The Committee considered Messrs. James Knott, Sons and Company's account for the first voyage of this ship. The Secretary pointed out that the copper which had been brought home from Gibraltar had been insured by the cargo owners against war risk, but that the marine risk had been taken by the Committee. The Committee decided that an allowance should be made in the account to cover this risk for the purpose of calculating Messrs. Knott's commission on the profits. Mr. Holt undertook to ascertain the current rate of premium at the time. Subject to this and to the report of the accounting officer the account was passed.

It was agreed that the coal on board the ship at the time she was taken over by Messrs. Knott ought to go into the prize account and not into the freight account.

7. 8.8.

"Kawak."-The Committee considered the report of their accounting officer upon the accounts of this ship. It was agreed that the charge for the remain- ing three-quarters of the sum spent owing to a collision at Malta was properly included in the accounts, but that it should be charged against the insurance account and not against the freight. The Committee passed the item of £1 for cigars referred to by the accounting officer.

The Committee noted the revised account which had been submitted by Messrs James Knott, Sons and Company so as to include an allowance for uninsured risks.

No. 4 in Appendix A.