السائلين
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O. 882
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
8PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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the Committee be reconstituted. This motion was agreed to, and the following members were appointed on the Committee:-
The Honourable the Auditor-General.
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the Surveyor-General.
L. E. Antelme.
Dr. W. T. A. Edwards, C.M.G.
C. E. Thomy Pitot.
G. Robinson.
This Committee only held one sitting and never reported.
9. In the meantime, however, I had nominated a Special Committee, as reported in my despatch, No. 148, of the 25th instant,* to consider the general ques- tion of railway extension, and the project of a line through Black River was con- sidered by the Committee at a meeting held on the 20th February. I transmit, herewith, an extract from the minutes of their proceedings.
10. The Committee urge the construction, without delay, of a light railway in that district, in accordance generally with the report submitted by the Black River Railway Commission in 1894.
11. I enclose the following explanatory documents and plans:-
1st. Surveyor-General's report, dated 16th February, referred to by the Com-
mission;
2nd. A copy of a further report I called for, giving a detailed revised esti-
mate of the proposed railway; and
3rd. Plans.t
12. The Surveyor-General estimates the cost of the proposed line at £36,300, or £2,000 less than the estimate made in 1894.
13. I submitted the papers to the Executive Council, at a meeting held on the 20th ultimo, who advised that the recommendations of the Committee be submitted for your consideration.
14. I also transmit a copy of a report I have since obtained from the Acting General Manager of Railways, giving an estimate of the working expenses of the proposed line and the probable revenue to be derived.
15. The General Manager estimates the annual revenue at Rs. 114,200, and the working expenses at Rs. 45,680. The annual charge for interest and sinking fund on account of the loan to be raised for cost of construction would amount to £1,815, or Rs. 27,125. The undertaking is estimated, therefore, to produce a net revenue of about Rs. 50,000.
16. It cannot, I think, he doubted that the establishment of this line will very largely increase the production of the district of Black River and the railway revenues. I have every confidence, therefore, in recommending that a loan of £36,300 for the construction of this line be raised under the provisions of Ordinance No. 1 of 1887.
17. I may remind you that a plan for the further development of the district through which the proposed railway will pass has been for some time under con- sideration.
18. Under cover of my despatch, No. 292, of the 10th August, 1901,‡ I trans- mitted to you a scheme for the irrigation of a part of the district known as "La Ferme," prepared by the Surveyor-General, Mr. de Coriolis. By your despatch, No. 275, of the 5th November§ following, you informed me that you could not, at the time, see your way to take any further steps in the matter, but that if I had reason, at any time, to believe that the decision should be reconsidered, you would be glad to be favoured with my views and with those of my financial and railway officers upon any scheme that might be submitted.
19. After consulting the Woods and Forests Board, it was decided, in accord- ance with their opinion, that, as there are no officers in Mauritius competent to advise on the engineering details of the scheme and the estimated cost, the Govern- nent of Bombay should be approached with a view to obtaining, if possible, the services of an engineer well versed in tank irrigation to report on the scheme and, its probable cost.
20. In reply to a communication addressed to the Government of Bombay on the subject, I was informed that the Government were short-handed, and could not
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• No. 70.
† Not reproduced.
‡ No. 31533 01: not printed.
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spare the services of an engineer; but that if a map of the district proposed to be irrigated were sent to them, with the necessary information, the scheme would be considered by experts, and their opinions forwarded to Mauritius. The necessary plans and data were accordingly prepared and forwarded to Bombay on the 3rd instant.
21. You will see, therefore, that the proposed Black River Railway, which is justified by, and has become absolutely necessary for, the present requirements of the district, promises to be in the near future a very important branch of the railway system of the Colony.
I have, &c.,
CHAS. BRUCE,
Enclosure 3 in No. 77.
Governor.
EXTRACTS from the Minutes of the Proceedings of the Railway Board and the Light Railway Committee at a meeting held on the 20th February, 1903.
PRESENT:
The Honourable G. A. Ritter, C.M.G., Chairman.
the Surveyor-General.
J. A. Duclos.
L. Souchon.
The Acting General Manager of Railways.
P. E. Carcenac, Esq.
M. Montocchio, Esq.
The Honourable E. C. Fraser.
C. Dumat, Esq.
Leon Maurel, Esq.
Ernest Antelme, Esq.
ABSENT:
The Honourable T. Pitot, who had been invited to attend the meeting is also in attendance.
3. The question of the Black River railway line is examined, and after a long debate, the following resolution is arrived at :-
Whereas, in the course of their examination of M.P. 5942/02, referred to the Board by His Excellency the Governor, the Board have considered the proposal of the Honourable the Surveyor-General in connection with the district of Black River: Whereas it is urgent, on account of the Surra epidemic, to proceed with the construction of light railway lines so soon as definite plans and esti- mates are at hand; the Board, after fully considering the Surveyor- General's proposal in the above Minute Paper, his reports and that of the Black River Commission of 1894, and taking into account the request of the inhabitants of Black River that the line should not stop at Palmyre, but be made to continue to Tamarin, agree with the Surveyor-General in his report of the 16th instant, and recommend that the construction of a light railway line for Black River receive the best attention of Government and be constructed without delay, considering that the line will be self-supporting and will increase the revenue of the Midland Line. The Board take the liberty of strongly urging upon Government the necessity of not postponing the con- struction of that line, which is greatly wanted by that district, and more particularly under present circumstances.
The Board are also of opinion that an additional provision of £1,000 be made to the Surveyor-General's estimates to cover the expenses of estates sidings:
As regards the expected revenue of the line, the Board must point out that in 1894 two estates only, Medine and Tamarin, were mentioned as would send their sugars and provisions by rail. Whilst the Board are informed that now Albion estate would very likely send its sugar by
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