NAVAL PRIZE MONEY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 42, 13 November 1918, Page 11

NAVAL PRIZE MONEY

NEW SCHEME OF DISTRIBUTION

ON FAIRER BASIS

A new-method for the distribution of naval prize, money is to bo carried out at the end of the war. In previous wars -the custom was for the prize nionfy for a captured merchant ship to be distributed among tlio. officers and crew of the ship which, effected tho. capture. This method.of distribution works unfairly, and in this war tho unfairness of it would be so pronounced as to ooustituto a scandalous' injustice if it wero carried out. Uiider this system the great share of the prize money would go to tho ships of. the British Navy which were employed in protecting tiio trade routes, while those who had served on the ! Grand Fleet waiting long weary .months..for the German Fleet to come out, and . those who have served on the destroyer and.other ships, patrolling tho North Sea and the English Channel,, exposed 7 to the dangers of submarines and mine's,' would get nothing. It has been decided that every naval officer and man who has served at 6ea. during tho war shall be entitled to a shave of tho prizo money. Tho thousands of fishermen who have served on the trawlers and motor launches engaged in mine-sweeping will also participate" in' the distribution of the prize money.' .The .distribution will not tako place; until the end . of tho, war, but the relatives of. those inch' who havo lost their lives ■ while serving at sea, and the' men' who have, been invalided in consequence of wounds or injuries received while on sea service, .will receive a share of the money. Naval men who have" been captured by the .enemy, and those who have served in 'naval airships will 'participate in the distribution.

It is necessary to distinguish between priM money and prize bounty. Prizo money is an tavard to the Navy for the capture of enemy merchant ships nnd cargoes, tho award being paid out of the proceeds of the sale of ships and car.goos. Prize bounty is a grant by the State to the officers and men of the Royal Navy who tako.pnrt in the sinking .or capture of engmy warships. The grant lias fixed at .£5 per head of the' .ship's company 'of tho enemy warship,sunk pr '-'Caphired. During this war prize bounty to tho extent of. ,£53,'539 has been distributed among the ships of the British Navy which have sunk 'enemy ships. :Tho bounty paid in connection with the sinking of tho German cruiser Enulen By the: Australian cruiser ' Sydnoy was .51935, J ' ■' ...■,\ The total sum standing to the credit ;.of the i London Prizo X'onrfc; is J69,918,813. •This represent? the bulk. of the prizo •money, but. there... are; Additional sums standing to the credit of the 'prize courts, in tho overseadominions. But ' tho whole of the money, standing.to the credit of tho prizo courts is. not to be distributed among .the British. N.avy as prizo ■money. Part :.6f 'iit 1 . will - go- into tho British Treasury; tfut'wliat sum' will go to tho TrejMuijs. and- iV'lmt auni' will bo distributedv Navy have still to be deterinin^;.,-; r '.v',;-':.

The' JJ9,918,815 standing to tho credit of the London Prize Court represents tho I droits of the Crown and the-droits of tho Admiralty. Droit is fin old legal term meaning right or .perquisite. Originally tho. right :to all wizo captured at sea- -belonged to the Crown, but in IG6G, in tho reign of Charles IT, an Order-in-Council was passed allocating to tho Lord High Admiral, for the maintenance of his office the .proceeds of prixo taken under certain circumstances. In former times tho office of Lord High .Admiral was hold'by .the Soveroign, but Charles II conferred at on his brother, the Duko of York. Broadly speaking, this Order-in-Council ■ reserved to tho Crown as prize "all ships and ?oods belonging to-enemies which are* driven into port by tho King's men-of-war, and all ships soized in any port at tho outbreak of war." ,It gavo- to tho Lord High '.Admiral enemy.ships and goods seized at sea "by any vessel nOt'cpriimissionalcd," and all salvage for all ships rescued. ' The droits of the Admiralty returned to the Sovereign in lator Teigns, but-they wero surrendered bv William IV when tho civil..list was established. These now go to tho Treasury, and it is only tho droits of the' Crown which aro distributed among the 'Navy as nrizo money. ■Dy.--iriimemorial custom tlveso have been given i« tho Navy by tile ; pleasure of .tho Crown. -Tn tho early days of t'lie war some of tho prize courts ..did not distinguish boI tween droits of the Admiralty and droits Crown'. The British Government ;li,ns. therefore, appointed a judicial tri..biinal to inquire into tho eaptuje of ships and -cargoes-, .andl to separate the droits .of tho Admiralty from those of tho Crown. : The scalo 'of ''distribution of the total .sum forming the droits of the Crown will •.bp-as follows.:—' , . .■ . . • ■ Shares : Canteen. stalt and other supernum-. , ariesi 2 Boy bluejackets' .1 A.B. seamen 5 •Leading'seamen : .6 -Petty' officer,' second class' ' G ;Petty officer,", first class 10 .Warrant- officer,, not- in command 12 •Warrant officer,, in command 15 ■ Sub-lienl. and- commissioner - warrp.t, officer not in , command 15 •Sujvlieut. and dprnmissioncd. war- ■ ra'nl;. officer, in.'cominand 20 Lieutenant, not in coihmand ...... 20 ■Lieutenant, in command 20 Lieut.-Commander, not in com- , • mand 23 Lieut.-G'ommander,. in command ..-. . 40 ; Comiruindant,. not in command ...' 40 Comiriander, in'command GO Captain, not in command GO

Captain,vin '.command -i'.:... 100. to 168 Comnlodores and admirals ... IC-0 to 1250 Commander-irt-Chief ....;' 2000 'To qualify-''for a. full share each individual -officer and man must have com--jjleted at least SO months alt sea by the .time the war ends. If- the war lasts more than five years, this term of service at sea will bo extended. But ovcry officer and nmn who lias served more .than 'one month at - sea will ■ get some : prize-"money, but not the 'full share of .an officer or riian who .has served 30 months. As the country -has had the use of tho money in the prize fund, and -..will continue to use it until the end of ■the war, the Government lias-decided to add to tho fund' compound- interest at ■ 4 per cent. :