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Minutes of the previous meeting
Minutes of the previous meeting were agreed and signed
1. Consideration of Vice-Chairman’s report No.56 of expenditure authorised under Resolution 3 (1) of the 54th meeting of the Commission, with the resolution that this be accepted
2. Consideration of a detailed report of expenditure from Commission funds for the months of July and August 1923 submitted by the Chairman, with the resolution that this be accepted
3. Consideration of a letter from the Deputy Director of Works re estimates of expenditure by the Commission in Macedonia between 1923-1924, with the resolution that a sum of £850 be expended to defray these expenses
4. Consideration of a report by the Finance Department re estimates of expenditure by the Commission in Palestine between 1923-1924, with the resolution that a sum of £1180 be expended to defray these expenses
5. Consideration of a report by the Principle Assistant Secretary re the inspection of graves in Ireland, with the resolution that two Area Inspectors be appointed for this purpose
6. Consideration of a report by the Chief Accountant France re the funeral and medical expenses incurred by the death of H.B Adams, with the resolution that the expenses be borne by Commission funds
7. Consideration of a circular from the Treasury re the revision of pay of temporary clerical classes, with the resolution that the provisions of the said circular be applied to those grades of the Commission’s staff to whom they are applicable
8. Consideration of reports by the Director of Works and a minute from the Controller and Financial Adviser re the power of the Commission to defray contingencies on contracts in relation to the naval memorials, with the resolutions that the question of interpretation to be put on the word ‘contingency’ be adjourned, that a sum of £390 be expended to defray the cost of adding a Cornish Granite Kerb to the Plymouth Naval Memorial, that a sum of £650 be expended to defray the cost of the substitution of a four foot gravel pathway originally designed around the Chatham Naval Memorial and that a sum of £21 be expended to defray the cost of paving the Great War Cross at Astwood Cemetery with stone
9. Consideration of a report by the Director of Works and resolution 6 of the 54th meeting of the Commission re the consideration of tenders for constructional work at Seaford Cemetery, with the resolutions that the tender by Messrs J Rooks be accepted at a sum of £631, that a sum of £63 be expended to meet the cost of contingencies and that a sum of £63 be expended to defray the cost of engraving personal inscriptions on the said headstones pending receipt of remittances from the next-of-kin
10. Consideration of a report by the Director of Works re constructional work at Bishopwearmouth Cemetery, Sunderland, with the resolutions that headstones be erected over 10 war burials in the said cemetery
11. Consideration of a report by the Director of Works, a minute from the Land and Legal Adviser and resolution 6 of the 54th meeting of the Commission re headstones for 79 Scottish cemeteries and churchyards, with the resolutions that the tender by Messrs Bower and Florence of the Spittal Granite Works, Aberdeen for the supply, erection, transport and engraving of 427 headstones for a sum of £3130, that a sum of £312 be expended to meet the cost of contingencies and that a sum of £300 be expended on engraving personal inscriptions on the said headstones pending receipt of remittance from the next-of-kin
12. Consideration of a report by the Land and Legal Adviser and a report by the Director of Works re the architectural treatment of a plot in Newington Cemetery (Echo Bank) Edinburgh, with the resolution that the plot be purchased in perpetuity at a sum of £250 plus a title fee of £2.10s.0
13. Consideration of a report by the Finance Department and a report by the Land and Legal Adviser re the payment of German Prisoner of War Graves in the United Kingdom, with the resolution that a sum of £357 be expended to purchase the burial rights in perpetuity
14. Consideration of a report by the Director of Works re the erection of isolated headstones in communal cemeteries and churchyards in France and Belgium, with the resolution that a sum of Francs 73,000 be expended for this purpose
15. Consideration of a report by the Director of Works re the amendment of particulars on 8 headstones belonging to members of the Dragoon Guards, with the resolutions that the value of the mis-described headstones be written off by the Commission at a value of £36.3.11 and that the headstones be replaced at the earliest possible moment
16. Consideration of a report by the Land and Legal Adviser covering a letter from Colonel Branch, Assistant Secretary, General Anglo French Mixed Committee re a motor accident at Etricourt resulting in the death of four men, with the resolutions that the sum of Francs 4000 be expended to defray the cost of Maitre Darmon for the claims of the dependents of the four deceased men, that the Commission continue to prosecute the said claims as advised by Colonel Branch and that the Vice Chairman be authorised to continue an ex gratia payment of £2 per hand per week to the said dependents not exceeding £50
17. Consideration of a circular from the Treasury re the revision of the pay of Temporary Clerical Classes, with the resolutions that the provisions of the said circular be applied to those grades of the Commission’s staff to whom they are applicable
18. Consideration of a report by the Land and Legal Adviser, resolution 2 of the 57th meeting of the Commission and a resolution of the 58th meeting of the Commission re the execution, delivery and erection of three memorials to the missing in East Africa, with the resolution that the offer by Mr J A Stevenson for a sum of £9000 be accepted
19. Consideration of a report by the Principal Assistant Secretary and letters from the Chairman of the Commission’s South African Agency re the replacement of existing iron crosses with a permanent stone memorial, with the resolution that a sum of £808 be placed at the disposal of the South African Agency to defray the cost of maintaining War Graves in the Union of South Africa
20. Consideration of a letter from Messrs R di A de Farro & Co of Cairo re the contract for the construction of Ramleh War Cemetery, with the resolutions that the substitution of letters of Guarantee from the Anglo-Egyptian Bank Ltd, for the deposit of cash or securities required by Clause 26 of the conditions of the contract for the construction of Ramleh War Cemetery and Jerusalem War Cemetery, be approved
21. Consideration of a report by the Director of Works, a report by the Land and Legal Adviser and resolution 11 of the 57th meeting of the Commission re the consideration of tenders for 15,000 headstones for French and Belgian cemeteries, with the resolutions that the supply and engraving of headstones be accepted at the schedule rates contained in their respective tenders to the extent of the number of stones set out against their names, that a sum of £34,605 be expended to meet the Commission’s liabilities and including the cost of transport of the said headstones to Dover Harbour, that a sum of £1000 be expended to meet the cost of contingencies and that a sum of £6000 be expended on engraving personal inscriptions pending the receipt of remittances from the next-of-kin concerned
22. Consideration of a report by the Finance Department re the loss of the exchange account for the year 1922 to 1923, with the resolution that a sum of £24,560.4.0 be written off in the Commission books
Present:
Major-General Sir Fabian Ware, K.C.V.O, K.B.E, C.B, C.M.G (Chairman)
Harry Gosling Esqre, C.H, J.P
Sir Henry Maddocks, K.C, M.P
Viscount Cross (Representing the Treasury)
Lieutenant Colonel Sir Herbert Ellissen, C.B.E (Secretary)
Also Present:
Lieutenant Colonel H.F Robinson (Deputy Director of Works)
Lieutenant Colonel C.P Oswald, O.B.E (Deputy Financial Adviser) |