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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.63 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 December 1923 submitted by the Chairman, with the resolution that this be accepted
3. Consideration of a report by the Finance Department re estimates of expenditure by the Commission in Italy between 1923 and 1924, with the resolution that a sum of £800 be expended to defray these administrative expenses for the year ending 31st March 1924
4. Consideration of a report by the Director of Works, a tabulated statement and resolution 3 of the 60th meeting of the Commission re the consideration of tenders for the supply, engraving, transport and erection of 75 headstones in Chester General Cemetery, with the resolutions that the tender by Messrs W Mansley & Son, Chester be accepted at a sum of £232.3s.9d, that a sum of £23 be expended to meet the cost of contingencies, that a sum of £23 be expended to defray the cost of engraving personal inscriptions on the said headstones and that a sum of £37.10s.0d be expended to erect the said headstones
5. Consideration of a report by the Director of Works and Resolution 3 of the 60th meeting of the Commission re the consideration of tenders for the supply, engraving, transport and erection of 111 headstones in Efford Cemetery, with the resolutions that the tender by Messrs W.S Gottier & Co and St Aubyns Marble Works, Devenport be accepted at a sum of £376.9.6, that a sum of £37 be expended to meet the cost of contingencies and that a sum of £37 be expended on engraving personal inscriptions on the said headstones pending the receipt of remittances from the next-of-kin
6. Consideration of a report by the Director of Works and Resolution 3 of the 60th meeting of the Commission re the consideration of tenders for the supply, engraving, transport and erection of 608 headstones in Aldershot Military Cemetery, with the resolutions that the tender by Mr A.W Thomson, St Lawrence Reading Road be accepted at a sum of £1264.4.8, that a sum of £120 be expended to meet the cost of contingencies and that a sum of £120 be expended on engraving personal inscriptions on the said headstones pending the receipt of remittances from the next-of-kin
7. Consideration of reports by Sir Robert Lorimer, the Principal Assistant Secretary and the Director of Works and resolution 10 of the 86th meeting of the Committee re improvements to cemeteries, with the resolutions that a sum of £234 to defray the cost of additional work to be carried out in the under-mentioned cemeteries in the United Kingdom
8. Consideration of a report by the Director of Works re Contract ‘L’ in relation to Epehy Wood Farm British Cemetery, with the resolution that a sum of Francs 25,715 be expended to defray the cost of additional walling at Epehy Wood Farm British Cemetery
9. Consideration of reports by the Director of Works and the Land and Legal Adviser re the construction of Memorials to the Missing at Cambrai and Soissons, with the resolutions that subject to the Land and Legal Adviser being satisfied, a sum of £150 be expended on digging trial holes at Cambrai and that a further sum of £150 be expended on digging holes at Soissons
10. Consideration of a report by the Land and Legal Adviser re the purchase of land to erect an Indian Memorial at Neuve Chapelle, with the resolutions that a sum of Francs 30,000 be expended to purchase the land for this purpose
11. Consideration of reports by the Director of Works and a letter from the Assistant Director of the Geological Survey Museum re Contract “1923K” & “1923L” entered into between the Commission and Messrs D.G Somerville & Co concerning the erection of 34 and 21 cemeteries in France and Belgium respectively, with the resolutions that the aforementioned classes of stone be substituted by Pierre de Rupt stone only in such cases as recommended by the Director of Works and that wherever the said Pierre Rupt Stone is substituted for the stone specified in the said contracts, payment to the contractor at reduced rate of Francs 38 per cubic foot and in lieu of Francs 48 per cubic foot be approved provided that in cemeteries where Pierre Rupt Stone is used, the period of maintenance be increased from 6 to 12 months
12. Consideration of a report by the Director of Works re the return of private memorials to the next-of-kin, with the resolution that a sum of £5.16s.0d be expended to defray the cost of returning the private memorial belonging to Private A. Harley and that a sum of £7.17s.6d be expended to defray the cost of returning the private memorial belonging to Private F J York prior to the removal of his grave to Cabaret Rouge British Cemetery
13. Consideration of reports by the Assistant Deputy Director of Works and Director of Works re damaged permanent memorials in military cemeteries in Egypt, with the resolution that a sum of £20 be expended to defray the cost of photographing the private memorials
14. Consideration of a letter from the Chairman, Anglo-Egyptian War Cemeteries Executive Committee and resolution 7 of their 35th meeting re repairs to a motorcycle belonging to Mr Darton, Clerk of Works, with the resolution that a sum of £E.37.500 be expended for this purpose
15. Consideration of a report by the Principle Assistant Secretary re the appointment of a surveyor in East Africa for a period of six months, with the resolution that a temporary surveyor be appointed at remuneration to be agreed upon by the Director of Works and Deputy Director of Works
16. Consideration of a report by the Director of Works re the consideration of tenders for the construction of a Great War Cross Type A in Sea-View Dar-es-Salaam, with the resolution that the tender by Messrs Low Giddings Ltd be accepted at a sum of £265.15.0
17. Consideration of a report by the Transport Adviser re the replacement of vehicles, with the resolutions that a sum of £550 be expended to purchase 4 new Ford vehicles for the use of the Commission in France and Belgium and that the 4 old Ford cars be disposed off
18. Consideration of a cable by the Director of Works re damage to graves, with the resolution that a sum of £1500 be authorised to defray the cost of exhumations and reinterments in Mesopotamia
19. Consideration of a report by the Land and Legal Adviser, a letter from Major Ingpen and resolution 7 of the 78th meeting of the Committee re payments to the dependents of the Commission’s employees killed in an accident at Etricourt, with the resolutions that the Commission continue paying £2 per head per week to the dependents and that a sum of Francs 4000 be authorised to defray the balance of Maitre Dannon’s costs
20. Consideration of a letter from Mr Millar of His Majesty’s Treasury re the salaries of Commission staff, with the resolutions that the salaries of officials entering the Commission on or after 1st January 1924 and already existing officials who may be promoted to any of the undermentioned grades on or after 1st January 1924, be on the following reduced scales, that the salaries of officials of the said grades already in the service of the Commission who shall have reached the maximum of their grade on higher scales, be subject to reconsideration for a period of not less than two years and that the Vice Chairman and Financial Adviser report their discussions to the Commission in due course
21. Consideration of a letter from the Deputy Controller, France re the expenditure incurred in connection with the construction of the temporary arches at St. Omer and Abbeville, with the resolution that a reply be sent in the terms of the draft submitted by the Secretary
Present:
Major General Sir Fabian Ware KCVO, KBE, CBC, CMG (Chairman)
Colonel The. Hon Sir James Allen, KCB
Sir William Garstin, GCMG, GBE
Sir Robert Hudon, GBE
Sir Henry Maddocks, KC
The Viscount Cross (Representing the Treasury)
Colonel Sir Herbert Ellissen, CBE (Secretary)
Also Present:
Lieutenant Colonel C P Oswald, OBE (Deputy Financial Adviser)
Lieutenant Colonel E H Jarvis (Assistant Deputy Director of Works) |