Coll 28/95 ‘Persia. Relations with H.M.G. Private claims against H.M.G.: case of the S.S. “Kara Deniz”.’ [‎236v] (472/691)

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Q-—Then the only references to size are those in the letters of the 20th
• May 1913 and the 19th March 1914 ?
A.—And my verbal statement as I said before—I do not want to go over
that again—“ If you have cargo and passenger boats with good speed, but they
must be cheap, always send them over to me.” So I was never bound down to
size, but when it came to the cargo boats he usually wanted a boat of about
1,000 tons but if they were cheap and carrying cargo and passengers and had a
good speed somewhere about 12 knots, he would be willing to. buy the boats.
But his main feature was always the question of price. He never limited me
to any particular size with the cargo and passenger boats of good speed.
Q- ' % f n response to those enquiries the biggest passenger steamers you
offered him were the “ Ocamo ” and “ Oruro ” ?
A.—That is so. * ,
Q.—All the others were of the cross-channel type ?
A- Yes, but if I had had a larger boat I should have offered it to him. If 25
I had a 6,000 tonner I should have sent it out if it did the 12 knots and carried
passengers, but I never had the hick to come across a boat of that size.
RE-EXAMINED by Mr. Noad on behalf of the claimant the witness said
as follows :—
Q.—I see that the letters of the 20th September 1913 and the 19th March 20
1914 both speak in general terms of their requirements ?
A—Yes, it seems like that to me, but I think if I might go on with the evi
dence if it has to be covered when he came across the “ Ocamo ” and “ Oruro ”—
this is my point which I should like to emphasise. Both of those boats had a
new boiler in 1900 and a new donkey boiler in 1900 and she had good speed and 25
passenger accommodation. Those two boats at <£5,000 each were no doubt
cheap : two for £10,000. No doubt that caught his eye. He might have taken
something larger but the two combined would mean that those two ships would
carry 4,600 tons of cargo and the passenger accommodation would be about 200
all told, therefore it seems, although at that time he may have treated with me go
for a boat only of this particular size, 2,300 tons of carrying cargo taking the
two combined showed to me that he might even have gone in for something
larger if we had had it but I had nothing to offer him.
GEORGE LLOYD ALLEN.
The above depositions of George Lloyd Allen were first read over to him 35
by me and were then signed by him in the presence of Mr. Philip Joseph Can
ning representing the claimant and Mr. Frank Richard Martin representing the
Government of Bombay From c. 1668-1858, the East India Company’s administration in the city of Bombay [Mumbai] and western India. From 1858-1947, a subdivision of the British Raj. It was responsible for British relations with the Gulf and Red Sea regions. .
F. BRINSLEY-HARPER,
The Commissioner. 40
30th June 1915.
The examination of the witness herein occupied the following times :—
(i) On Monday, 28th June 1915, from 11 a.m. to 12-15 p.m.
(ii) On Wednesday, 30th June 1915, from 11 a.m. to 11-30 p.m.
F. BRINSLEY-HARPER, 45
The Commissioner.
30th June 1915.
Filed 25th July 1915.
A. S. D’SOUZA.
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