50
PUBLIC
RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
LC. 885/25
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
29734
82
No. 60.
MINUTES OF THE TWENTY-SECOND MEETING OF THE MANAGING COMMITTEE OF THE TROPICAL DISEASES BUREAU, HELd at the COLONIAL OFFICE ON THE 14th of May, 1919.
Present:
SIR R. HAVELOCK CHARLES. MAJOR-GENERAL SIR W. B. LEISHMAN.
MR. DOWNIE (Acting Secretary).
DR. BAGSHAWE, Director, also attended.
1. THE minutes of the Twenty-first Meeting* were approved.
2. The Committee received the Director's statement of the accounts of the Bureau for the financial year 1918-19. The Director pointed out that at present the annual expenditure was greatly in excess of income, and that at the present rate the balance and invested funds would be entirely absorbed in two years' time. The Committee decided that, in view of the present financial condition of the Bureau, it would probably be necessary to approach the contributing Colonial Governments and the Treasury with a request to increase their contributions to the original rate at the end of the present year. The Committee also recommended that the Australian States should be asked to contribute.
3. The agent's accounts for sales and advertisements for the half- year ended March, 1919, was laid before the Committee. The Director stated that this account was somewhat unsatisfactory, particularly with regard to the value of advertisements. The Committee considered that an effort should be made to extend the sale of the Bulletins. They recommended that the Director should draw the attention of the agents to the low returns from advertisements and the comparative smallness of the sales, and should make representations with a view to securing improvement in this respect.
4. Dr. Bagshawe then raised the question of the removal of the offices of the Bureau to new premises. He explained that this proposal had been made two or three years ago, but that the only rooms then available were too expensive. Sir Havelock Charles mentioned that the London School of Tropical Medicine would probably remove to new quarters shortly, and that it might be found The Committee possible for them to provide accommodation for the Bureau. decided that, pending arrangements with regard to the removal of the London School of Tropical Medicine, no steps could be taken in the matter, but that if a satisfactory arrangement were made for the removal of the London School of Medicine the question could be considered at a subsequent meeting.
5. Dr. Bagshawe proposed that a Sub-Committee should be appointed to reallocate the subjects ainong the sectional editors. He explained that at present several of the sectional editors were away on military service, and that substi- tutes had been acting for them, with the result that the arrangement of subjects had become somewhat chaotic. He stated that the present sectional editors were The Com- anxious that the subjects should be rearranged as early as possible. mittee recommended that the Director should draw up a statement showing existing arrangements and his proposals for rearrangement, and that this state- ment should be circulated to members for their observations. They considered that, in view of the present financial position of the Bureau, the number of sectional editors should be reduced, if possible, by amalgamating some of the subjects.
6. Dr. Bagshawe explained that it had been necessary to obtain the services of a lady Librarian at a salary of £11 108. a month, to act in the place of Mr. Sheppard, who was at present serving in the Army Service Corps, and was not likely to be demobilized for some months. The Committee sanctioned this arrange- ment on the understanding that it was purely a temporary measure pending the return of Mr. Sheppard or his replacement.
7. The Director informed the Committee that Mr. J. B: Nias, who had been sectional editor for foreign languages, died on the 20th of February, 1919. The
* No. 59.
83
Committee received this information with regret, and the Director was asked to convey to Mr. Nias's widow a vote of condolence from the Committee. Dr. Bagshawe stated that he had obtained the services of Dr. J. S. Arnold to replace Mr. Nias, and that he had been doing the work for the last two months. The Committee approved this appointment.
8. The Director asked the sanction of the Committee for the expenditure of £4 108. due to the necessity of appointing an additional lady typist for a short period before a vacancy had actually occurred. The Committee approved the expenditure.
36255
No. 61.
MINUTES OF THE TWENTY-THIRD MEETING OF THE MANAGING COMMITTEE OF THE TROPICAL DISEASES BUREAU, HELD at the COLONIAL OFFICE ON WEDNESDAY, 18TH JUNE, 1919.
1.
Present:
SIR J. WEST RIDGEWAY (Chairman). MAJOR-GENERAL SIR DAVID BRUCE.
SIR JOHN MCFADYEAN.
MR. A. C. C. PARKINSON (Secretary).
DR. A. G. BAGSHAWE (Director of the Bureau) also
attended.
Dr.
THE minutes of the twenty-second meeting* were approved. Bagshawe informed the Committee that he had received a letter of thanks from Mrs. Nias for the vote of condolence from the Committee, conveyed to her in accordance with paragraph 7 of the minutes.
2.
A statement of receipts and expenditure for the year ended 31st March, 1919, was considered (copy annexed). It was noted that the statement showed a deficit of more than £1,000, and that the available assets amounted to approximately £2,725, of which £1,750 had been invested in five per cent. War Loan. Dr. Bagshawe explained that the deficit was almost entirely due to the reduction in the contributions from the Treasury, the Indian Government, the Sudan Government, and the Colonial Governments, which had been cut down by fifty per cent. owing to the necessity of effecting economy during the War.
Under present conditions the Bureau could carry on its work till the end of the current financial year, provided that the reserve fund were used, but that, even if the whole reserve fund were realized, work would have to be stopped in August or September, 1920, and, after examining the possible means of reducing expenditure and increasing revenue as set forth in the statement of receipts and expenditure, the Committee decided to recommend strongly that, although contributions had been asked for and in most cases already guaranteed for two more years on the present reduced basis, the Treasury and the contributing Governments should be approached again and requested to raise their contributions to the pre-war figures, as from the 1st of April, 1920, the deficit in the meantime being met from the reserve fund. In arriving at this decision the Committee took into consideration the following points:-
(1) Circumstances had altered since the application for a renewal of contribu- tions for two years on the reduced basis was made by the Secretary of State in November, 1918.
(2) No means of affecting any saving in expenditure could be found without seriously impairing the intrinsic value of the Bureau, and in any event no appreciable saving could be made.
(3) None of the suggestions as to means for increasing revenue commended themselves to the Committee. (It was noted that with the present reduced contributions the numbers of free copies of the Bulletin were in certain cases unduly large, e.g., India, but it was considered impolitic to reduce the free list.)
(4) The work of the Tropical Diseases Bureau was recognized as being of first-rate importance in connexion with tropical medicine and hygiene, and, unless the necessary funds were provided, the work would undoubtedly come to a standstill in 1920.
* No. 60.
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