REVISED ESTIMATS
320
In forwarding this Perised Estimate amounting to $7,947,580 for the British Section of the Kowloon Canton Railway, I would give the following explanation of the great increase over the preliminary Estimate made by Mr Bruce.
Mr Bruce's Estimate for the Line was $4,470,500 and the Estimate by the Honourable Director of Public Works for the reclamation of Kowloon Station
Yard was $585,000. The sim of these two Estimates is
therefore exceeded by $2,900,000 approximately.
It is "ery difficult to make cut from his report how Mr Bruce made his Estimate as he gives no quanti- ties or rates. Some of the figures are extremely low.
Take for instance "Farthwork" which he estimates
at $651,700/- According to the section which he
drew his banks far exceeded his cuttings especially round the coast between Shatin and Taipo. The total
amount allotted to Earthwork would not have been nearly sufficient for his alignment evan at half the rates sally paid in the Colony. The amount allocated
to protection of Banks is much less than my estimate though his line was far more exposed and I do not think the rates I am calculating my estimate on are any too large.
The original Estimate for the tunnel is about right as it included plant which in this revised
estimate is charged to a separate head.
Mr Bruce in my opinion "ery much underestimated
the Bridges.
His section shows 49 Bridges for a
total