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or 4 meetings had been missed since I had been here. It was absurd to say "obstacles were placed in the way of his facing me" personally if he had asked to do so.
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Regarding the Director of Public Works Mr. Eves said his attitude had been in no way hostile or interfering, and that in the action he had taken relative to Colonial Works (roads &c.) which were involved with the Railway he was fully justified.
Mr. Barry gave it as his opinion that Mr. Eves had acted very foolishly in these matters, and that it was extremely difficult to get a clear statement of his wishes, and of facts out of him except by a system of cross-examination, that he was in fact a difficult and irritating man to deal with.
Incidentally Mr. Barry expressed the opinion that the Tunnel should be finished in June, 1910. That the Canton to Samshui section of the Canton line would be completed by the Spring of 1910, and the whole line in the Spring of 1911. We thought it advisable for this Government to begin negotiations re the Working Agreement at once, and suggested we should write direct to the Chairman of the Railway Board in Calcutta (T. R. Wynne) and ask him to nominate a traffic manager to advise. I asked his opinion of Mr. Pope and gathered that he was somewhat pro-Chinese and had a high opinion of himself.
Regarding the cracked bridges, he said Mr. Eves had proceeded on certain assumptions - viz.:- that the bridge foundations should be floated - but he had left out vital considerations in giving effect to them, even supposing them to be right of which he had grave doubts. I asked what justification Mr. Eves had for not informing the Consulting Engineers of the difficult conditions as to foundation, when he submitted designs. Mr. Barry said he had none and that had the Engineers had any idea that the nature of the subsoil it was they would never have approved the designs. I thought the Consulting Engineers had much cause for complaint that they had not been informed.