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[Page 192]
[handwritten] Strasburg 42 porter St Waverley
341 Pitt Street,
Sydney,
26th Feb. 1915
Dear Pethebridge,
Strasburg has been to see me today, regarding payment for work performed by him for the Administration, in piloting steamers engaged in the Inter Island Service.
Although I have never received any official intimation, he was, I understand engaged by the Naval Authorities at Garden Island as a pilot for the "Berrima" on account of his knowledge of island waters. He, himself, told me on the Berrima, his pay was to be £25 per month from the Navy, but he did not then mention anything about pilotage, but it appears since, this was correct, and was to have had the acting rank of Lieut. R.A.N.R. but afterwards, on account of his being foreign born, the rank was refused.
He acted as Pilot on the Berrima while she was in Island waters, and as Capt. Stevenson did not require him to return by the Berrima on 4th October, he handed him over to me as he thought his local knowledge would be most useful. I therefore, made full use of him in the Inter Island Steamer Service, but he was always paid his salary by Livesay, the Naval Paymaster, he never made any claim on me for pilotage, and indeed, I was not then aware that this was part of his engagement while on the Berrima.
The first item in his claim is £12 for going to Matupi to obtain labor to coal the Berrima, Murex and other ships of the Navy, and has nothing whatever to do with the Administration. The other services charged for, were
/certainly