Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 21]
-3-
Hitherto there has been no Bank here, all financial arrangements apparently being transacted through business firms. I have now arranged that the Treasurer shall do this. In addition, a Savings Bank has been established for the use of the Troops, which is being availed of freely. It is suggested by the Treasurer that the Government of the Commonwealth be asked to make arrangements for remitting money to, and receiving moneys from, this place. Captain Fry (Treasurer) writes as follows:-
"As at present these possessions are isolated from the outside World in the matter of financial arrangements, and in view of the fact that the Treasury Department (here) will be conducting all banking business, I would suggest that the Governor of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia be communicated with, for the purpose of receiving or remitting moneys only.
"The Bank would, no doubt, be willing to honor drafts of, say, not more than £25. (Specimen signature being forwarded from here), and the Treasury (here) could honor drafts of the Commonwealth Bank in the same way, debiting the amounts in the books to the Commonwealth Bank Account.
"At the expiration of the present system of Administration, the difference, if any, would be settled in cash. This would assist in keeping the gold and silver in the Treasury."
I would be glad if the suggestion of Captain Fry could be carried out.
With regard to the addendum to the conditions of capitulation, as to the granting as a loan from the funds of the Administration be afterwards refunded by the Governor, from the German Colonial Subsidy, three months salary and expenses to German Officials, who are to be deported, I found on receiving a list of Officials that the amount claimed was so exhorbitant that I would be left with insufficient funds to carry on the Administration; I have, therefore, advised the Governor that it will be a matter of impossibility to grant the loan in question and requesting him to make his own arrangements in this matter.
The letter sent him by me was as follows:-
1st October, 1914.
"The addendum to the Terms and Conditions of Surrender agreed to be us at Herbertshohe on Sept.17th provided that three months salary from 1st October '14 and travelling expenses, should be advanced by you, on behalf of the German Imperial Government, out of the yearly Colonial Subsidy.
"At that time I was unaware of the amount of money for Administration purposes which would be transferred to me, and I was not furnished with the list of the Officials concerned or the amount of money involved.
"I now find that the total amount transferred is only 519,093,15, including cheques, drafts, and bills of exchange, amounting to M.187,752, the realisation of which seems very doubtful, so that the actual moneys at my disposal amount to M.331,340,90. Whereas I have been furnished by Herr Binder, late Cashier, with a list of
[In margin] M14,726 rec'd since (W.H.)