PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O. 885
22 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
| ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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"I fear that the three men sent by the Ordnance Survey will not be of great use, but it is probable that they will not desire to remain long at the class of work required of them."
The War Office were asked on 16th December for the two officers and seven non-commissioned officers, and a copy of our letter and enclosures thereto was sent to the Director-General, Ordnance Survey, in accordance with our usual practice when asking for Royal Engineer surveyors. The War Office evidently asked the Ordnance Survey to recommend the five men and the Officer Commanding Survey Companies, Royal Engineers, did so on 24th December.* Before any action could be taken, however, Colonel Close telegraphed on 29th December†
"I withdraw list of five men for Northern Nigeria Survey accompanying my letter of 24th. No action can be taken at present."
On 24th December he wrote-
"dissenting entirely from Sir F. Lugard's conclusions with regard to Messrs. Kingston, Woram, and Healy,"
and stating that he was
that
satisfied that the condemnation of Mr. Kingston is altogether unjustified,”
J
Mr. Collard's attitude with regard to his reports on this subject to the Governor needs no comment." and that in the interests of the Ordnance Survey the matter should be investigated by a competent official, either by Major Guggisberg or, still better, by an outsider, so that not only the efficiency of Messrs. Kingston, Woram, and Healy, but the whole organisation of the Northern Nigeria Survey Department should be systematically examined.
On 29th December Colonel Close sent a further letter§ in which the responsibility for the Governor's adverse comments on the three men was placed on Mr. Collard. In it he said that
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given the strong bias displayed by Mr. Collard the possibility does not appear remote" of Messrs. Kingston, Woram, and Healy being employed "at some uncongenial occupation in order to force their resignations." He questioned Mr. Collard's qualifications as a surveyor, and added that as
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there would appear to be no security that the non-commissioned officers just asked for " if sent out might not eventually be placed under Mr. Collard's orders,"
and that in view of his
"
"entire disapproval of his attitude towards the three ex-non-commissioned officers
he hesitated to select any non-commissioned officers until some assurance is obtained that they will not be placed in an impossible position."
Finally he suggested that before any steps were taken to select the five non-commis- sioned officers the question and the future organisation of the surveys of Northern Nigeria should be discussed at an early meeting of the Survey Committee.
On the same day as Colonel Close's last letter reached the Colonial Office there also arrived Sir F. Lugard's despatch of 29th November on the subject of Mr. Collard's position. The Governor stated that he had formed a high opinion of Mr. Collard, who did practically the whole of the survey and location of the Baro- Kano Railway; that Mr. Eaglesome had frequently spoken to Sir F. Lugard of Mr. Collard as being not only a highly-skilled surveyor, but a man of indomitable energy and very rapid in his work, and that
"Mr. Collard himself states that Sir P. Girouard said that he was the best railway survevor he had seen "!
Sir F. Lugard adds that Mr. Collard is very dissatisfied with his position, and that he considers that he has some grounds for his disappointment: that he complains that he is still unconfirmed, and therefore non-pensionable; that had he remained on the railway he would probably have been better off; and that if he had understood
As he was only 45 days ont of England and received passage and railway fares + 30s. a night it is difficult to understand how he spent so much.
that he would remain indefinitely on £600
he would not have accepted the appoint- ment of Chief Surveyor, and that his visit to Egypt last year to study revenue survey
methods there cost him £120 out of his own pocket.
• 44381/13: not printed.
↑ 44384/13: not printed.
† 44359/13: not printed.
§ 41701/13: not printed."
| 44767/13: not printed.
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Sir F. Lugard, therefore, proposes that Mr. Collard should be appointed Director of Surveys, Northern Nigeria, on £600-£25-£800+ duty allowance £120; that he should draw £650 at once, and be confirmed in his appointment as from 16th December, 1911. Ile adds that Mr. Collard
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is a very valuable officer, whom it would be extremely difficult to replace, and he is at present discouraged and disheartened."
Sir F. Lugard
"does not think the salary proposed is by any means too high for the Head of a Technical Department."
On 5th January a further despatch* arrived from Sir F. Lugard dealing mainly with the minefields survey. It enclosed a report from Major Guggisberg, which showed that the survey party, in spite of loss of working power, owing to invalidings, &c., would by the end of their tour complete the survey of 439 areas with over 7,000 square miles of triangulation, and a considerable amount of topographical survey work-or approximately the original programme laid down by the Governor. But the number of new applications which have flowed in, in spite of the partial closing of the minefields area to new applicants, is estimated to result in arrears to the amount of 260 areas, and requires still further staff to cope with it, and Major Guggisberg proposes that to the new party of two officers and seven non-commis- sioned officers (which Major Close's action is holding up) five more non-commissioned officers should be added, "who should reach Nigeria about the end of March. This enlarged party would complete the central portion of the minefields, and the rest of the work would be handed over to the Northern Nigeria Survey Department. In addition he proposes that Captain Giles and-fivet non-commissioned officers of the first party should be re-engaged for another tour, returning to Nigeria in September, 1914, and he estimates that by adopting these proposals all arrears can be completed by the end of 1914, and that the remains of the two parties can then cope with current work in 1915, and on the termination of their service hand over finally to the Northern Nigeria Survey with the work up to date.
The Governor says :--
C
In view of Major Guggisberg's latest report, of which I attach a copy,
I have no option but to request you to increase the number of men asked for in my despatch, No. 324, of 10th November ‡ by a further five men, who should reach the minefields by 1st April. I should prefer that these five men should be civilians or retired officers of the Army or Navy (not retired non-commis- sioned officers of Royal Engineers), who have some knowledge of survey work, or, at any rate, the qualifications which would enable them to be rapidly trained as surveyors in order that they may later be included in the permanent staff of the Northern Nigeria Survey Department.
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Major Guggisberg recommends that Lieutenant Kentish, of the South- ern Nigeria Survey, who is due to reach England about February 10th, should select these five men, and that, if he should not find it possible to obtain the whole number in time to reach Nigeria by the beginning of April next, two trained non-commissioned officers, Royal Engineers, should be substituted for two of the five civilians, in view of the urgency of the matter.
"If these steps are taken I hope to be able to reopen the closed area of the minefields in April next. Under the new Mineral Regulations the surveys of licences and leases will be remunerative, and will largely cover the cost incurred by these proposals.
I ask your sanction for the appointment of any of these five officers who
may have good qualifications at the rate of £400-£20-£500, duty pay £80, since it is difficult to get good men on the lower rate who have experience. Lieutenant Kentish will, of course, submit to your Department the names of any men whom he proposes to select.
A copy of the instructions given to Lieutenant Kentish will be forwarded to you later."
In other words he agrees that five more men are required to be sent out in March as Major Guggisberg requests, but instead of non-commissioned officers of Royal Engineers, who can be obtained ready for work if Colonel Close removes his interdict
415 not printed.
† He says five in one place and three in another—but ho allows for five in his estimate of cost.
41313/13: not printed.