Crown Agents, since direct shipments from England would
involve the building of larger magazines and the employ-
248
-ment of guards &c., while the abandonment of the existing
contract with Messrs. Jardine, Matheson and Company,
Limited, and the negotiation of a new one with Messrs.
Nobel and Company for local supply through their Agents
though identical in practice would involve higher rates.
3.
If then the object of the inter-
-vention of the Crown Agents is based upon an assumption
that "unnecessary expense "will be saved to the Colony
thereby, it appears clear that in cases where it can he
demonstrated that expense can be saved without that in-
-tervention it should be dispensed with.
4.
I have never been able to very
clearly understand what function was performed by the
Crown Agents in their general intervention and supervision
of Colonial Railway Construction, when the local Government
already has and pays for the services of Consulting
Engineers in England, through whom employés can be engaged,
and materials ordered
Ka
a method which would ensure equally
a preference to British workmen and British goods.
5.
Since the taxpayers of the Colony
pay the cost of the construction, I would venture to ask
Your
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