Consulting Engineers at home and I had no idea that
the iron work of the bridge would be so heavy i.e.
about two hundred tons. I could not tell this until
the arrival of the invoice.
As regards the Taipo River Bridge the site
was altered at the request of the Honourable Director
of Public Works so as to keep the river in a part-
icular channel to suit future reclamation schemes.
I can give no estimate of the cost of
mending the cracked bridges as the Consulting Engineers have not yet sent out their report.
FENCING: As regards fencing on Paddy
fields in India and elsewhere in China such lines
are unfenced.
TELEGRAPHS: The addition of cents, etc. is
due to the fact that revised estimates such as these
are based on round figures added on to actual
expenditure which latter figures are taken from the
actual figures in the Railway accounts.
BALLAST: At the commencement of the work
the Chinese Contractors showed a tendency to form
rings to keep up the price of ballast. This was the
cause of my putting the cost high in my Report for
1907. Owing to the fact that the ballast was not
urgently required it was found possible to break the
rings and so get it done more cheaply during 1908.
PERMANENT WAY: The saving shown in the 1908 Report is made on Home prices which were only
lately arranged and I could not possibly have fore-
told in 1907. Owing to the fact that the Chinese
Section won't be open till the end of 1911 it will not
be necessary to lay so many goods sidings in Kowloon
Station