489
A
Contract Drawings before any start with the works could be made and a more serious loss of time would occur as no doubt the Contractors would think it necessary to inspect the spot and to satisfy themselves as to the nature of the work to be undertaken. It is also a great question whether Contractors would not desire to have some borings taken on the line of the tunnel before pledging themselves as to a Contract sum.
We gather that the Government would be averse to any such loss of time as would be involved by the above named necessities in the case of a Contract, and if it were decided to carry out the work departmentally the staff could be engaged forthwith and sent out to Hong Kong and a commencement made with the construction work at an early date.
If all that were desired were merely to commence the works quickly it might be possible to execute the work north of the tunnel departmentally, making a start at once on that portion and the southern portion by Contract. But the disadvantages of this mode of procedure would be that in respect of the work which must of necessity take the longest time in its execution, namely the tunnel, a commencement would be considerably postponed and thus the final execution of the whole of the undertaking would be correspondingly delayed.
After giving the matter our best consideration we should recommend that the whole work should be carried out departmentally.
We are &c
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(sa) J. Wolfe Barry