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in 1901. With regard to this, I need only quote Colonel Yorke's opinion, dated 5th March, 1902;— I can only repeat what I have already said that if I were "the responsible adviser to His Excellency the Governor of Hong Kong, I should refuse to accept the proposal of Messrs Dickinson to lay the tramway with separate strips of concrete under each rail. I have no doubt that the proper mode is to lay a layer of concrete across the entire width of the track and excluding 18 inches outside each rail."
The statement made in the fourth paragraph of Messrs Dickinson's letter of the 5th November, 1900, is not in accordance with the facts.
With regard to the last paragraph of Messrs Dickinson's letter, the proposal to adopt centre groove construction along Praya East was not submitted to me until about November last. I have no recollection of the interview of the 4th April, 1901, mentioned in Messrs Dickinson's Letter nor of the decision which is said to have been arrived at on that occasion. The plans deposited with me are signed by Messrs Shewan, Tomes & Co and show a mere outline of the route with the double or single line of rails, as the case may be indicated. There is absolutely nothing to show what the construction is to be.