Messrs. Hogg and Robinson) were
utilised as regards stores, but these agents worked under the
supervision of the Admiralty Transport department.

[Sidenote: "Freight" and "transport" ships.]

As the terms used above, "freight ships" and "transports," will
frequently recur in this chapter, it is necessary to give an
explanation of their meaning and of the distinction between them.
Troops are carried either in a transport or a freight ship. A
transport is a vessel wholly taken up by the Government on a time
charter. A freight ship is one in which the whole or a portion of the
accommodation is engaged at a rate per head, or for a lump sum for a
definite voyage. For a single voyage, freight, when obtainable, is
generally cheaper. But owners will not always divert their ships under
other than a time charter, and it is necessary that the bulk of the
engagements for the conveyance of troops should be on time charter in
order to secure control over the ships. Transports, when continuously
employed and utilised both ways, are cheaper than freight ships. Under
the transport charter the vessel, though engaged for a named period
certain, is at the disposal of the Admiralty so long as the Government
choose to retain her, except when it is expressly stipulated
otherwise.

[Sidenote: Govt. sea transport.]

The method by which the Government carries out the sea transport of
the Army is as follows:

The Board of Admiralty, as agents for, and on the requisition of, the
Secretary of State for War, undertakes all this work, except coastwise
conveyance in the United Kingdom.

[Sidenote: Office method.]

Since 1st April, 1888, Army Sea Transport has been always charged to
Army instead of to Navy Votes; but the control of the Admiralty over
the Transport service remains unimpaired. The Admiralty has always
held that the work can be efficiently and satisfactorily carried out
only by an Admiralty department, in connection with similar work for
the Navy. For convenience sake the Director of Transports is placed in
direct communication with the War Office as to all ordinary matters.
An officer of the Quartermaster-General's department visits the
Transport department frequently in peace time, and in war time he is
placed at the Admiralty to assist the Director of Transports in
military questions. All claims chargeable to Army Votes, after
examination in the Transport department, receive, before they are
passed to the War Office for payme