CO885-24 — Page 236

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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Reference :-

C.O. 885

24 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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1277

MINUTES.

THE SEVENTY-fifth MeetiNG of the Committee was held at the Colonial Office on Monday, the 23rd August, 1915, at 3.15 p.m.

The following members were present:-

MR. W. J. EVANS, Admiralty (in the Chair).

MR. H. W. MALKIN, Foreign Office.

MR. L. D. WAKELY, India Office.

MR. T. H. HOLT, Crown Agents.

MR. C. TENNYSON, C.M.G., Colonial Office (acted as Secretary in the

absence of Mr. Wiseman).

MR. G. L. BARSTOW, C.B., Treasury, was present during the discussion

of the first five items.

1. The minutes of the previous meeting were confirmed.

2.

8.3. "Andros."—It was decided that if the Admiralty did not desire to take this ship over at Suez she should be loaded home with condemned cargo from Alexandria, and all arrangements for this purpose should be left to the Marshal at Alexandria, who, it was understood, would probably be able to find a crew.

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3. ᎦᏕ . Bangor."-The Secretary informed the Committee that the Court had valued the coal on board this ship, including bunker coal, at £2 a ton before the telegram directing application to be made for its valuation at 248. 6d. had been received. It was decided that no further action should be taken until an exact statement could be made of the expenses of the voyage to the West Coast of Africa, when it might be possible to ask the Court in London to revise the valuation.

The Chairman stated that nine of the original crew of the ship were in the United Kingdom, the cook, cook's mate, boatswain, and one seaman being witnesses for the Crown. The Secretary was directed to ascertain from the Governor by telegram whether the depositions given by these men in the Falkland Islands could be transmitted for use in the Court here.

4. Lachlan and Company's charges for valuations.-The Committee considered a letter from Messrs. Lachlan and Company stating that the Transport Department had agreed upon an increased scale of payment for valuations and inventories pro- Messrs. Lachlan had vided the arrangements were confirmed by the Committee.

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also applied for an additional fee of a guinea for the making of inventories in the cases of the Altair" and "Frisia." It was decided that these questions should be held over until Mr. Wiseman returned, and that, subject to any arrangement that he might have made with the Admiralty, the question of these increased charges should be referred to the Transport Department and the question raised as to whether the payment of these charges should fall on the Transport Department or the Com- mittee. This question also arose in connexion with the valuations of the "Goslar," about which the Transport Department had referred to the Committee.

5.

The

Sale of beans ex s.8. "Istria."-The Committee considered a letter from the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation suggesting that the disposal of these beans should be effected gradually in order to obtain a better price. Secretary was directed to inform the Corporation that the Committee concurred in this provided that the Corporation, after repaying themselves the expenses which they were entitled to deduct from the proceeds of sale, should remit the balance of the proceeds as received from time to time to the Committee.

6. s.s. "Tandem."-Mr. Holt reported that five officers were entitled under their agreements to be given first-class passages back to Australia with full pay during the voyage. It was arranged that Mr. Holt should endeavour to compromise this claim for a lump sum in each case if this could be done on favourable terms. The Secretary reported that the Transport Department had inspected this ship and asked if she might be handed over for use as a water-carrier. As the matter was A letter should be written one of urgency the ship had already been handed over.

to the Board of Admiralty informing them of this and asking for their authority. Arrangements should also be made for valuing the steamer.

7. 8.. "Neath."-Mr. Holt reported that this vessel had suffered serious damage off Newfoundland, and considerable repairs would be necessary.

The

MINUTES.

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The

Board of Trade had instructed their surveyors that everything which might be necessary to make the ship seaworthy should be done, but nothing more. managers had also been instructed to do everything possible to save expense. They had promised £30 a day for despatch money for each day saved under twenty-eight. The dock dues alone amounted to £34 a day.

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8. 8.8. Pollokshields," late" Græcia."-Mr. Holt reported that freight on this The Committee agreed that the ship was payable on the weight actually delivered. charterers should be allowed per cent. in lieu of weighing.

9. 8.8. "Senegambia."-Mr. Holt reported that four coal shoots had had to be cut in the ship, at the expense of about £30, as the men refused to work her with coal if this was not done. Three of the ship's old boats had been condemned by the Board of Trade, and a new boat had been bought for the port side, at a cost of between £80 and £100, in order to comply with the Board of Trade's require- ments. The Committee directed that the condemned boats should be sold.

10. Application from the "Ben" Line.-The Committee considered a letter from William Thomson and Company, owners of the "Ben" Line, asking if one of the Committee's steamers could be allowed to load on the berth to the Straits, Hong Kong, and Japan, to fill up the gap in the "Ben" Line sailings caused by the loss of vessels sunk and requisitioned. The Committee decided that it was not possible for them to make a concession of this kind to any particular shipowner, and the Secretary was directed to reply to the application accordingly.

11. s.s. "Marquis Bacquehem."—The Secretary was directed to inquire of the Transport Department whether they had come to any decision in regard to this vessel.

12. s.s." Paros."-Mr. Holt reported that this ship, with a full cargo of wheat on board, had been sunk on the 17th of August by a German submarine. A letter had been received from Turner, Brightman and Company asking for a payment of £9,000 on account of disbursements. The Assistant Paymaster-General should be requested to pay this account subject to production of receipts and vouchers for audit. The Foreign Office should be informed of the sinking of the ship and asked to note the fact for any action which might be possible at a later date.

13. s.v. "Paz."-The Committee considered a despatch from the Governor of the Falkland Islands enclosing a report by Lieutenant Nigel Lyon, R.N., as The to the suitability of the vessel to make the voyage to the United Kingdom. Committee decided that no action need be taken unless the captain who had been sent to bring the vessel home raised the question of her fitness for the voyage. The ship had been fixed to bring a cargo of produce for the Falkland Islands Company.

14. 8.8. Kawak." Mr. Holt reported that this ship passed Malta on Satur- day and that she should reach the United Kingdom (probably Belfast) about 2nd September. The Transport Department were to be informed and asked whether

they required the ship.

15. s.v. “Yawry."-The managers had requested permission to send this ship through the Panama Canal, and the Committee approved of this.

The managers

The

had also proposed that the first captain who had been sent out for this ship should receive payment for four days during which he stayed on board after the arrival of It had been decided that the the second captain sent out to take over from him. second captain was not to receive any pay, having regard to his misconduct. Committee decided that either the first captain or the mate, who had been promoted to act as captain in place of the second captain sent out, should receive captain's pay for these four days, but that the payment for two captains could not be allowed. Mr. Holt undertook to communicate both these decisions to Messrs. Houlder, Middle- ton and Company.

Payment to the Company of £2,200 for stores sent out from the United Kingdom for the ship was approved. Mr. Holt undertook to forward to the chairman for signature the Company's application for this payment.

16.

8.8. "George R."-The Secretary reported that this ship had been handed over to the Transport Department to carry an urgent cargo of trench timber to north France. The Admiralty letter had been received on the 18th. He was instructed to ask the Admiralty whether the ship would be required after the conclusion of her prezent voyage.

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