PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
TTIC.O. 882
4PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
(No. 8.) MY LORD,
128
No. 25A.
F. PRESTAGE, Esq., to COLONIAL OFFICE.
(Received April 25, 1887.)
Darjeeling, April 4, 1887. ́ In continuation of my letter of the 30th October last, after a recent inspection of the proposed railway extensions in Ceylon from the present main line terminus into the Province of Uva, and after conferring with the Local Government authorities and the principal estate owners and others most interested in the extension, I have forwarded, for his Excellency the Governor's consideration, certain documents, copies of which I now have the honour to forward for your Lordship's orders.
2. I would solicit your Lordship's attention to my "Firm offer" contained in my letter of the 21st ultimo from Nuwara Eliya, addressed to the Honourable Colonial Secretary, and which I trust will tend to remove the distrust most unexpectedly.alluded to in para. 14 of Despatch XL. 1886, of your Lordship's predecessor. So many opinions have been recorded, and which have evidently been based upon a knowledge of the working of the broad gauge railways only as mountain railways, and which opinions so far appear to have mainly influenced the decisions given in the despatches hitherto "published, that I have thought it best to make the "Firm offers F]
alluded to.
3. I am quite satisfied that such a line as has been constructed into these mountains would carry in nine hours of daylight only, nine times the traffic authoritatively estimated to be received on the Uva extension. I am also quite satisfied that the traffic will not for ages, if ever, justify such a heavy outlay as is proposed for a con. tinuation of the broad gauge quite apart from the latter being most costly to work for ton of load carried when constructed, more particularly with such a light traffic to
carry.
**
4. I am not without hope that the results recorded in my No. 7 of this date will influence his Excellency the Governor to favour more the construction of a railway of narrow gauge, and if they and my Firm offer" should in any way influence Lordship to sanction an advance, I am prepared to again proceed to Ceylon or to your London if I am so desired.
I have, &c. (Signed) F. PRESTAGE.
The Right Hon. Her Majesty's Secretary of State
for the Colonies.
LIST OF DOCUMENTS" ENCLOSED.
1. Letter No. 5, of 21st March 1887, to the Hon. Colonial Secretary, Colombo.t 2. Letter No. 7, of 4th April 1887,
do.
do.
3. Inspection Report by the Consulting Engineer to the Government of India on the condition of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.‡
Enclosure in No. 25A.
From F. PRESTAGE, Esq., Darjeeling, to the Honourable COLONIAL SECRETARY,
Colombo, Ceylon,
Darjeeling, April 4, 1887.
(No. 7.) SIE,
In continuation of my letter of the 23rd ultimo from Colombo, addressed to the Private Secretary of his Excellency the Governor, reporting the results of certain tests made to ascertain the carrying capacity of broad and narrow gauge rolling stock, find that an error was made in working out the figures, and that a train of 12 wagons of the broad gauge would carry 1,020 chests of tea, instead of 920 only as before reported, whilst the number carried in the 15 narrow gauge vehicles forming a train also 180 feet long remains at 1,125.
2. I beg to solicit his Excellency's attention to the attached Inspection Report‡ by the Consulting Engineer to the Government of India on the condition of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. Pera. 5 will, I hope, satisfy his Excellency that there is no difficulty in constructing a very substantial railway of a narrow gauge, and that the cost of maintenance that follows is very much lighter than with a broad gauge; paras 16, 28, and 29 remark on matters that also are under the consideration of his Excellency's Government.
'I have, &c.
F. PRESTAGE.
129
No. 26.
GOVERNOR THE HON. SIB A. H. GORDON, G.C.M.G., to the RIGHT HON. SIR H. T. HOLLAND, BART., G.C.M.G., M.P. (Received May 2, 1887.) No. 152.
Queen's Cottage, Nuwara Eliya, Ceylon,. April 7, 1887.
SIB,
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Despatch, No. 49, of the 2nd ultimo, giving cover to a letter from Sir C. H. Gregory, explanatory of the mode by which he had arrived at the conclusion that Mr. Waring's estimates for the construction of the railway from Nanuoya to Haputale were inadequate, and would require to be largely supplemented.
2. With some exceptions, of which I admit the force, the contents of this letter. appear to bear out the impression referred to in the 23rd paragraph of my Despatch, No. 140, of the 29th ultimo.t
The Right Hon.
Sir H. T. Holland, Bt., G.C.M.G., M.P.,
&c.
&c.
&c.
No. 27.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
A. GORDON.
HOUSE OF COMMONS PROCEEDINGS, 10th May 1887.
NOTICE OF QUESTION for 12th May by Mr. CAMERON.
Mr. MACDONALD CAMERON.-To ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that the Ceylon Government have constructed 42 miles of railway between Nawalapitiya and Nanu Oya at a cost of 900,000.; that it was the original intention of the Government to extend the line to Haputale, 25 miles further, in order to tap the traffic of the Uva district, which now goes by a long route of 150 miles to the sea; that two successive Governors have recommended the construction of the 25 miles alluded to; that it has been estimated that this extra expenditure would lead to a retura of 6 per cent. on the total capital of 1,400,000, whereas the traffic revenue from the 42 mile section already constructed is only sufficient to pay 3 per cent. on the 900,000/. expended upon it.
And, whether the Imperial Government is prepared to recommend the construction of the 25 miles alluded to, and so obtain a greater revenue, besides conferring a highly desirable benefit on the planters and other inhabitants of the Uva district.
EXTRACT.-"Times," 12th May 1887.
Two
In answer to Mr. M. CAMERON, Sir H. HOLLAND said :-The line to Nanu Oya has been constructed, but it was sanctioned by the Government irrespective of any further extension. In the event, however, of the section to Nanu Oya justifying expectations, Badulla, some 30 miles beyond Haputale, was looked to as the ultimate terminus. successive Governors recommended the extension, and estimates have been furnished from time to time purporting to show that the extension would be profitable, but the data given did not satisfy my predecessors. In the face of the fact that the revenue for 1886 did not reach the estimate, and that the last few years have shown a constantly growing burden of debt, there would be considerable difficulty in varying the decision of my immediate predecessor, namely, that the extension could not be undertaken by Government in the present financial condition of the Colony, but that a private company would be at liberty to take it up. There is little to add to the answers given to the hon. member in April last year, and to my hon. friend the member for North Kensington in March last, but I am to receive a deputation on the subject in the course of next week, and shall, of course, give careful consideration to any statements they bring before me.
Mr. M. CAMERON asked whether the Government would sanction the construction of the railway by a private company.
Sir H. HOLLAND imagined that a private company could start without the sanction of the Government.
(Signed)
• No. 11..
↑ Enclosure in No. 30.
↑ Not printed.
• No. 22.
† No. 25.
8 3