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252
Chief Resident Engineer's
office,
Kowloon, dated 2nd. March, 1908,
To the Honourable
The Colonial Secretary,
Hongkong.
Stores.
I
sir,
0 :
A
In reply to the enclosed letter from the
Crown Agents with regard to the cost of explosives I have the
honour to explain as follows:-
The seventy cents charged for Blasting
Gelatine at the Tunnel includes seven cents transport charges,
so cost landed at the Railway Wharf by Messrs. Jardine,
Matheson and Company is about sixty three cents per pound which
works out at the same rate of exchange viz. 2/34 to 1/54 as
against 1/3 quoted in the Crown Agents' letter.
To this price however must be added the
rent of Government Magazine which for six months' supply at a
consumption of six thousand pounds per month, would come to
7.4 cents per pound. Landing in Magazine and delivery at Rail-
-way Wharf when required about .20 cents per pound.
A summary therefore is as follows based on
the exchange 2/3 being seventy cents at 1/7.
Cost c.i.f. Hongkong 1/3 at 2/37..
Rent of Magazine....
.55 cents p.lb
.7.4
...0.2
Carriage Railway Wharf to Tunnel
Landing charges.
69.6 p.lb.
This shows a saving of only cent 0.4 which
is hardly worth mentioning.
I have etc., (Sa.) G.W.Eves, C.R.E.