An agreement whereby Konomax Rock Drill products may be imported into the Union of South Africa from the United States, manufactured, modified, or distributed as seen fit by the licence holders, these being Rand Mines, Limited, and the successors to Messrs. H. Eksteen & Co., The Central Mining & Investment Corporation Limited.
Included in the bundle are:
1) Receipt from the United States Patent Office dated 15th July 1916, signed by Thomas Ewing, Commissioner of Patents, and bearing the seal of the Patent Office of the United States of America.
2) Signed statement by the Consul of the United States of America to the Union of South Africa, Edwin N. Gunsaulus, to the effect that one Henry Louis Langley Feltham is a Notary Public, and that his instruments, documents, and writings that follow are entitled to full faith and credence in court and thereout. This statement bears the seal of the American Consulate, Johannesburg, Transvaal, a $2 American Consular Service Fee Stamp, as well as a 10c series of 1914 United States Internal Revenue stamp, both fixed to the front of the document, and is dated 10th May 1916. In the bottom corner is a Rand MInes ink stamp, bearing the index date of this document.
3) These are followed by a Notarial Deed of Agreement of 7 numbered pages, notarised by Van Hulsteyn, Feltham & Ford, Solicitors, Johannesburg, Transvaal, bearing their seal on the title page. This has a green Union of South Africa 2 shilling revenue stamp pasted to the top right corner. On 8 May 1916, Pierre Corneille Baerveldt and William Smith Thomas appeared personally before them as representatives of Konomax Rock Drill Syndicate, and entered into agreement with Central Mining & Investment Corporation, Limited represented by Evelyn Ashley Wallers and Henry (?) Crawford Boyd, and Evelyn Ashley Wallers and William Henry Dawe, as representatives of Rand Mines, Limited, who all signed. This agreement was witnessed by (?) Roberts and (?) Brayshaw.
4) Annexure "A", being an extract from the minutes of a meeting of Konomax Rock Drill Syndicate directors resolving that Konomax enters into the agreement described above, with once more a US Patent Office receipt attached, signed by the Chairman and Secretary.
5) Annexure "B" Rand Mines, Limited resolution of directors taken 19 May 1914, certified a true copy and also bearing a US Patent Office seal, and signed for the Chairman of Rand Mines by E.A. Wallers and the Joint Secretary (?)
6) Annexure "C", Deed of Agreement between all parties, represented or witnessed by directors or lawyers acting for the parties. A 21 page copy, dated July 15 1916. This contains many clauses and conditions, including a royalty structure. It lists the typed names of personalities such as R.W. Schumacher, the chairman of Rand Mines at the time, but has no signatures. Annexure "A" attached to this is an extract from minutes of a meeting held by Konomax directors held in Johannesburg in the Consolidated Building, in 1910, resolving that certain representatives may act on behalf of the company. A copy of a general power of attorney containing once again the names of several prominent mining personalities, but not signed by them, follows. Annexure "B" Rand MInes Limited resolution of 1 March 1910, unsigned, and Annexure "C", a listing of mining companies to be incorporated into the agreement, dated 7 February 1910 come next.
All pages bear a stamp of the U.S. Patent office on their reverse, recording lodgment on July 15 1916, and are collected together by ribbon. Feltham was possibly the noted South African lepidopterist. Konomax was registered in Torino, Kingdom of Italy, in 1868.
