| Content Note | Topics covered:
1. Report of Comptroller and Financial Adviser of Expenditure for month of October 1920
Consideration of the Comptroller and Financial Adviser’s report of expenditure for October 1920, with resolution that the report be accepted
2. Report of Comptroller and Financial Adviser of expenditure authorised under resolution 3 of the 25th meeting and resolution 14 of the 26th meeting of the Commission
Consideration of Report No.6 of expenditure authorised under Resolution 3 of the 25th meeting of the Commission, with resolution that the report be accepted
3. Concentration of graves in Macedonia
Consideration of a report from the Director of Works submitting estimates for the cost of concentrating 1484 graves in Macedonia by local civilian labour, with resolution authorising the expenditure of £2000 on concentrating graves in Macedonia
4. Alterations to Common form of Headstone Contract
Consideration of a report from the Director of Works on the suggested insertion into the Commission’s Common Form of Contract for the supply and engraving of Headstones of a clause accounting for fluctuations in wages, with resolution that no alteration be made in the drafting of the contract
5. Tender of Guild of Builders (London) Ltd. For 7400 Headstones
Consideration of a report from the Director of Works submitting a tender from the Guild of Builders (London) Limited, for the supply and engraving of 7400 headstones, and a letter from the Guild suggesting this contract be placed on the prime cost principle, with resolution:
1) That the tender of the Guild of Builders not be accepted;
2) That the Guild of Builders be informed that the Commission are not prepared to place contracts on the prime cost principle;
3) That the Guild of Builders be informed that the Commission will be glad to receive tenders from them in accordance with the Commission’s form of tender whenever the Commission are offering such tenders for public competition.
6. Tenders for Headstone contracts
Consideration of a report from the Director of Works submitting the result of tenders received for the supply and engraving of 7256 headstones to be erected in Terlincthun British Cemetery, Etretat Churchyard and Churchyard Extension, Poperinghe New Military Cemetery, Brandhoek Military Cemetery, Puchevillers British Cemetery, and Vermelles British Cemetery, with resolution:
1) That the tenders of the delineated firms be accepted at the schedule rates contained in their respective tenders against the number of stones set out against their names;
2) That the expenditure of £28900 be approved to meet the Commissioner’s liabilities under the said contracts;
3) That the expenditure of £4200 be approved to meet the cost of transport and contingencies arising out the said contracts;
4) That pending the receipt of remittances from the next-of-kin the expenditure of £3400 be approved to meet the cost of engraving personal inscriptions on the headstones.
7. Constructional work at Savona Town Cemetery
Consideration of a report from the Director of Works requesting permission to proceed with the construction of Savona Military Cemetery, Italy, with resolution:
1) That the Director of Works be authorised to place a contract with Messrs. Guilio Roggere & Co of Savona in connection with the construction of the British Military Cemetery at Savona, in accordance with their tender for a sum of lire 24713;
2) The Director of Works be authorised to place a contract with Messrs. Portoni & Zecchinati of Schio for the supply of 105 headstones to be erected in the British Military Cemetery at Savona for a sum of lire 23100
3) That pending the receipt of remittances from the next-of-kin concerned the expenditure of lire 4000 be approved to meet the cost of engraving personal inscriptions on the said headstones
4) That the expenditure of lire 6077 be approved to defray the cost of contingencies arising out of the said contracts with Messrs. Guilio Roggero and Messrs. Portoni and Zecchinati
8. Increase of Establishment of Architectural Draughtsman, France
Consideration of a report from the Director of Works covering a letter from the Deputy Director of Works, France, requesting the appointment of additional Draughtsmen on his staff, with resolution to appoint 1 Architectural Draughtsman Grade A (salary £300-25-350), 4 Architectural Draughtsman Grade B (salary £200-15-250), and 4 Survey Draughtsmen Grade B (salary £200-15-250)
9. Maintenance of Cemeteries in France and Belgium
Consideration of a letter from the Principal Assistant Secretary requesting authority to proceed with arrangements for the temporary maintaining by local French Labour of cemeteries which it is not possible to maintain by British Labour at present, with resolution to approve the expenditure of francs 87000 to defray the cost of the maintenance by local French labour until the 31st March 1921
10. Purchase of Coal for France
The committee considered a letter from the Deputy Controller, France, requesting authority to purchase from the Compagnie des Mines d’Anzin, France, 300 tons of coal and boulets for the use of the Commission in France and Belgium, with resolution to approve the expenditure of francs 65910 to defray the cost of the purchase and transport of the coal
11. Contract for supply of 50000 Wooden Crosses
Consideration of a letter form the Deputy Controller, France, requesting authority to place a contract for the supply of 50000 wooden crosses to replace decayed or dilapidated crosses, with resolution to authorise the Deputy Controller, France, to place a contract with ML Cousin of St Omer, France, for the supply of 50000 Wooden Crosses of Oak Wood in accordance with his tender at a cost of francs 112500
12. Return of wooden crosses to relatives
Consideration of letters from the Director of Works requesting authority to return 3 wooden crosses from graves in to the next-of-kin concerned, with resolution to approve the expenditure of 17/6d to defray the cost of returning 1 wooden cross from Louvencourt Military Cemetery to the next-of-kin, and 15/- each to defray the cost of returning 1 wooden cross from Forceville Communal Cemetery Extension and 1 wooden cross from Le Treport Military Cemetery to the next-of-kin
13. Write off of money lost at Poperinghe
Consideration of a letter from the Deputy Controller, France, in reply to resolution 3 paragraph 2 and 3 of the 26th meeting of the Committee arising out of the loss of 1011.80 francs from a sum of 20151.50 francs sent from St Omer to Poperinghe for the pay of personnel on July 2nd 1920, with resolution that the Deputy Controller, France be informed that the Committee is not prepared to write off the sum of 511 francs 80 centimes, and that he be requested to submit a revised proposal under which the loss should be met by the officers responsible other than the Camp Warden
14. Mr E Phillips, Headstone Contract
Consideration of a letter from the Director of Works reporting that Mr E Phillips of Church Stretton, Contractor to the Commission for the supply and engraving of 180 headstones of Grinshill Stone is unable to complete the contract owing to the closing down of the quarry, with resolution to recommend:
1) That the contract with Messrs E Phillips be cancelled as far as concerns the 70 headstones remaining to be delivered under the said contract
2) That the tender of Messrs E Phillips for the supply and engraving of 70 headstones in Portland Stone at the price of £4. 2s. 0d. per headstone be accepted
Attendees:
The Rt. Hon. Andrew Fisher, PC
The Hon. Sir Edgar R Bowring
GHS Pinsent Esqre (Representing the Treasury)
Lieutenant Colonel H Ellissen, CBE (Secretary)
Also Present:
Lt Col C P Oswald, OBE (Deputy Financial Adviser)
Lt Col Robinson (Deputy Director of Works)
Additional documents include: Report No.6, expenditure approved under Resolution 3 of the 25th Meeting of the Finance Committee; letter to the Financial Adviser from the Director of Works providing reference cables received from Macedonia and cost estimates concerning the concentration of graves in Macedonia, 1st November 1920; letter to the Financial Adviser from the Director of Works concerning a wages clause in headstone contracts, 15th November 1920; report on the tender of the Guild of Builders (London) Ltd for 7256 headstones, attaching a copy of a letter to the Commission from the Guild of Builders suggesting a tender based on the prime cost principle, 15th November 1920; letter to the Financial Adviser from the Director of Works concerning the tenders submitted for 7256 headstones, with tabulated analysis of tenders, and table of proposed allotment by cemeteries; letter to the Financial Adviser from the Director of Works providing a breakdown of the costs associated with the construction of Savona Military Cemetery and submitting resolutions to the Committee for their sanction to advance with construction, 17th November 1920; letter to the Vice-Chairman from Lt Col T M Lowry, Deputy Director of Works, Italy, concerning tenders submitted for the construction of Savona Military Cemetery, 5th November 1920; preliminary estimated costs for Savona Military Cemetery, 13th April 1920; letter to the Director of Works from Major Wm B Binnie, Deputy Director of Works, France, requesting approval for an increase to the number of draughtsmen on his staff; letter to the Financial Adviser from the Principal Assistant Secretary concerning the provision of interim local French labourers to care for cemeteries in France and Belgium that were currently unable to be maintained for the Commission by British labour, 19th November 1920; letter to the Financial Adviser from Colonel H T Goodland, Deputy Controller, concerning the Commission’s shortage of coal in France, and the authority given by the French Controller of Coal to the Commission to purchase 300 tons of coal from the French mines, 13th November 1920; letter to the Vice-Chairman from Col Goodland, Deputy Controller, France, submitting proposals for the provision of medical attendance for employees of the Commission who are working away from General Headquarters, 16th November 1920; letter to the Chief Doctors of Civil Hospitals in France concerning the provision of hospital care for Commission employees in France, 22nd October 1920; letter to the Controller of Administration from Col Goodland, Deputy Controller, France, requesting authority for the making of a contract for the supply of 50000 standard wooden crosses, with attached estimates, 16th November 1920; letter to the Controller of Administration from Col Goodland, Deputy Controller, France, concerning the loss of money at the Camp at Poperinghe, and recommending that the loss of the balance of Francs 511.80 be borne by the public, and the difference of Francs 500 be paid by Mr Coats, Camp Warden, 1st November 1920; letter to the Financial Adviser from the Director of Works concerning the contract with Messrs G Phillipps of Church Stretton for 180 headstones in Grinshill stone for Acheux Cemetery, 18th November 1920.
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