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Minutes of the previous meeting
Minutes of the previous meeting were agreed and signed
1. Consideration of Report No.12 of Expenditure by the Vice Chairman, authorised under Resolution 3 of the 25th meeting of the Commission, with the resolution that this be accepted
2. Consideration of a letter from the Director of Works re the appointment of four inspectors to the Commission’s staff in England and two inspectors to the Commission’s staff in Scotland to undertake duties previously performed by the DGR&E, with the resolution that the additional six personnel be appointed from 1st April 1921 at a salary of £300-25-400
3. Consideration of a report by the Director of Works re the consideration of tenders for constructional work in St James’s Cemetery, Dover, including estimated costs and contingencies for levelling the site, erecting a war cross and headstones, and planting a holly hedge, with the resolution that from eight of the firms being invited to tender, the Commission must accept one for constructional work at a sum not exceeding £760
4. Consideration of a report by the Director of Works recommending that Cemetery Contracts Officer, Captain Shepherd, be promoted, with the resolution that Captain Shepherd be promoted from a second-class clerk Grade A at a salary of £400-25-500 to a first-class clerk at a salary of £650-25-750 from 1st April 1921
5. Consideration of a letter from the Finance Department re the present pay and revised cost of living bonus of male messengers under Treasury Letter E. 306 of 1st March 1921, with the resolution that the cost of living bonus be extended to male messengers employed by the Commission in London
6. Consideration of a letter from the Finance Department re the purchase of stores for the use of the Commission in France and Belgium, including a tabulated statement of expenditure on general stores between 1st April 1920 to 31st December 1920, with the resolution that a sum not exceeding £6000 be expended to defray the cost of purchasing General Stores for the period ending 31st March 1921
7. Consideration of a letter from the Principal Assistant Secretary re the appointment of gardeners and gardeners labourers to France and Belgium, with the resolution that 1000 gardeners and 263 gardeners labourers be appointed from 1st April 1921 and that in the event of gardeners being absent, gardeners labourers may be appointed in their place
8. Consideration of a letter from the Finance Department re the request by Messrs Randall, Baggs and Co that the Commission increase their salary to compensate them for feeding smaller sized camps in France than originally agreed to, with the resolution that in all camps between 40-50 men, Messrs Randall be paid an increase per head from francs 10.25 to francs 11.25, and in all camps less than 40 men, an increase per head from francs 10.25 to 12.25 and that the tender by Messrs Randall and Co to feed the Commission’s Travelling Gardening Parties in France and Belgium be accepted at a rate of francs 13.25 per head
10. Consideration of a letter from the Director of Records re the appointment of an officer to the Commission’s staff in the occupied area of the Rhine, with the resolution that a Deputy Assistant Inspector of Works be appointed at a yearly rate of £500-25-600 and that a Clerk be appointed to his office at a yearly rate of £125
11. Consideration of a report by General Sir Herbert Cox recommending that Mr Courtenay Gooding be paid for the period 1st to 26th November and a minute by the Comptroller and Financial Adviser detailing the events that took place as evidence for the committee, with the resolution that the issue of pay to Mr Gooding be not approved
12. Consideration of a letter from the Chairman of the Anglo-Egyptian War Cemeteries Executive Committee re the high cost of living in Cairo and how staff in Egypt have had to provide their own quarters contrary to the arrangements offered by the Commission as outlined in the two attached letters, with the resolution that the Chairman of the Anglo-Egyptian War Cemeteries Executive Committee be made aware that the assessment of income tax is between the Paymaster General and the individual employee rather than the Commission and that a refund to staff in Egypt for house rents be not allowed
13. Consideration of a letter from the Principal Assistant Secretary re the replacement of Mr H Duncan Jack as Motor Driver Mechanic for the Commission in Palestine, with the resolution that the contract held by Mr H Duncan Jack be terminated from 12th December 1920
14. Consideration of a letter from the Deputy Director of Works, Gallipoli requesting that his salary be regraded, on the grounds that the salaries of other Deputy Director of Works have been regraded and that extra payment is required to entertain visitors, with the resolution that this request be accepted and that the amount be settled by the Vice-Chairman and the Treasury
15. Consideration of a letter from the Director of Works re the appointment of additional staff to the Commission in Mesopotamia to support the construction of enclosure walls around cemeteries in Mesopotamia, with the resolution that the additional staff be appointed from 1st April 1921 at the salaries set out against their names
16. Consideration of a letter from the Director of Works re the erection of headstones over Dominion graves in France and Belgium by limited tender, including a tabulated statement relating to the verification of Dominion graves, with the resolution that from eight of the tenders being invited, the Commission must accept one tender for the production of 1500 headstones at a sum not exceeding £6,225
17. Consideration of a letter from the Vice-Chairman re the proposal of a Compassionate Fund in accordance with the 35th meeting of the Finance Committee and for the main purpose of providing £500 in any one year to a Commission staff member, with the resolution that a Compassionate Fund be approved
Present:
Major General Sir Fabien Ware, KBE, CB, CMG (Chairman)
The Rt Hon Sir Alfred Nond, Bart, MP
Harry Gosling, Esqre, CH, JP
F M Morris, Esqre (Representing the Treasury)
Lt Colonel H Ellissen, CBE (Secretary)
Also Present:
Lt Colonel C P Oswald, OBE (Deputy Financial Adviser)
Lt Colonel Robinson (Deputy Director of Works) |