158
}
}
}
21.
It will thus be seen that the British Earnings during this time were $5,752.42 Inwards and §,710.54 Outwards making a total $11,462.96. The compensation if
the Working Agreement applied to the case would therefore be 80,731.48 per month and an average daily rate of $185.00.
22.
If the actual wording of the Working Agreement is to be insisted on an addition to daily rate as arrived at above must be made to the extent of the amount que accor- ding to Clause 22 on account of late trains because such amount formed part of our Gross Receipts during the month. The payment for late trains is compensation to which the British Soction is entitled, owing to the extra expense and inconvenience it was put to by the late arrivals of the trains, which was caused by the Class and Conditions of Traffic carried by the Chinese Section for their own convenience and resulted in a considerable profit to them. The amount about $600 should not be subjected to a aequc- tion of half because it is not a matter of profit but an actual monetary loss. Supposing Traffic to be resumed un the 6th December we should be entillod to a daily rate of $185 plus say $20.00 due to the receipts on late trains, i.e. $205.00 per day.
23.
Now I hold that the above is not a fair way to look at the loss sustained by the British Section because the only figures we have got are those of the first month's operation. It is notorious that Chinese are slow to avail thomselves of the trains. The village elder has to travel first and form an opinion of the Railway as a means of locomotion. If his report be favourable, permission to travel is gruntod to the elder members of the various
families
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