Extract from Chief Resident Engineer's letter No. 954/07 of 7th September, 1907.
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A great deal of my time at present is occupied in designing and estimating new works as well as in examining accounts. At present I am engaged in looking into the question of Workshops, Station Building and Deep Sea Wall. I have just finished all the bridges but not the ordinary stations. This necessitates a good deal of actual drawing being done by me as I do not care to depute such work to any one else. I average about 4 complete days on the work every fortnight. This has been sufficient up to date, but will not be sufficient next cold weather when the difficult Lok Loha Taipo Station is in full swing. I hope by that time to have completed my part of the designing above referred to and to have also an auditor to help me in the accounts.
I am in telephonic communication with all my assistants which is a great assistance in managing from one end of the work.
I do not think my accounts are in arrears, they always are sent to the Treasury punctually on 15th of month. The Local Auditor is several months in arrears.
In order to simplify accounts a meeting should be held at which the Auditor should be present and it can then be decided how deeply he should go in auditing my accounts. It is absolutely impossible to audit construction accounts in the same way as revenue accounts, and this is what the Local Auditor is gradually doing. The letting of petty contracts for heading driving and such like works, naturally is troublesome when payments have to be made, but I am firmly convinced that it is the best and only way of doing the work quickly. This system of doing the work departmentally has been found to be the best way where Eastern labour is available and I do not believe in letting the work to a European Contractor.
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