PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O. 882
8 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
174
Northern and Midland lines only to £923,908, whilst Mr. Longridge's estimate for all the lines recommended by him was only £1,002,174 13s. 8d., as follows :-
Northern line
Midland line
Pamplemousses
Schirnfeld
Savanne line
Loop line The Vale
Black River line Moka line
Total
2
£ s. d. 278,831 17 315,942 19 205,550 1 9
90,142 10
0 67,315 0 44,990 0 0
£1,002,474 13 8
0
-
Sir William Stevenson asked the Council to limit themselves to the construction of the two first lines and to leave out of consideration for the present the four others. He added: "A very short trial of the success of these two lines will enable the Government to determine on the prosecution or further postponement of another contract for the Savanne line, which stands next in importance to the Northern and Midland and which, in my opinion, is a very important one."
The Northern and Midland lines were therefore constructed. Later on, the Government being satisfied that those two lines proved a success, constructed the Savanne line, "the next in importance," as Sir W. Stevenson called it. Then the Moka line had its turn, and in 1891 it was prolonged to Rivière Sèche. The Black River line is now in course of construction. The Government have, therefore, gradually carried out Mr. Longridge's comprehensive scheme, reaping, each time, more than the profits anticipated by that able and far-seeing engineer.
Mr. Longridge had foreseen that the 1134 miles of railroad recommended by him would bring in an annual gross revenue of £157,368. Commenting upon that figure, Mr. John Hawkshaw wrote as follows: "Mr. Longridge's calculations of traffic are very elaborate. From such examination of them as I have had the means of making, I should not think them in excess." The results obtained by the Railway Department have proved that both Messrs. Longridge and Hawkshaw have been good prophets: the railway gross receipts, including the Government traffic were, last year, for only 103 miles, £144,823, an amount per mile in excess of that announced by Mr. Longridge. As regards the net revenue derived from the existing railways, it is sufficient for me to refer to His Excellency's admirable Minute, No. 15 of 1903, on the charges on account of the Public Debt of the Colony, from which it results that it may reasonably be expected that when all the railway loans have been paid off, our railways will be one of the best proofs of our revenue; a net revenue of Rs. 500,000 being anticipated therefrom. In building railways we are, therefore, not only benefiting the present generations but we are making sound investments from which future generations will derive considerable profits.
THE PROPOSED NEW RAILWAYS.
5. The proposed new railways are:-
1st. A loop light line "Pamplemousses "-The Vale-Schoenfeld Poudre d'Or) standard "gauge," estimated to cost, includ- ing rolling-stock
£80,000
2nd. A narrow-gauge light line from Souillac to Baie du Cap,
estimated cost, including rolling-stock
30,000
3rd. A standard-gauge light line, Pamplemousses to St. Julien
(Flacq), estimated to cost
60,000
4th. A narrow-gauge light line (60 centimetres) from Mare
d'Albert to Cent Gaulettes, estimated to cost
22,000
To that sum must be added a provision for unforeseen wants
of, say
Total
£192,000
...
£8,000
to round off the figures and make a lump sum of
£200,000
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Out of those four lines, two, Lines Nos. 1 and 2 are meant to complete the rail- way scheme proposed by Mr. Longridge. The first one will be of the same gauge as the North line; it follows the tracé suggested by Mr. Longridge with some modifications necessitated by the new circumstances of the localities it will serve. I have given in my detailed report on that line the reasons which should weigh with the Government to decide that it should be constructed,
Line No. 2, Little Savanne Line, is that suggested by Mr. Longridge with this difference, that instead of making it stop at Jacotet, it is proposed to extend it as far as Baie du Cap. Now the gauge is not the same. With the view of reducing the cost of that line to a minimum and connecting it with an existing system of estates tramway, the 60 centimetres gauge has been adopted. When those two lines have been constructed, the railway scheme, so ably devised by Mr. Longridge, will have been carried out entirely.
Line No. 3, Pamplemousses-St. Julien, will be of the same gauge as the Northern line. It is meant to serve three important districts. At the last moment, some opposition, the consequence to my mind of a mistaken view of the question, has been raised to it by two estate owners, who are not in great want of railway communication.
That opposition should not, I submit, prevent the Government from providing for the construction of that line, with this reservation, that an alternative project, for instance, making the line start from Mapou or Poudre D'Or station, which would be more advantageous than starting from Pamplemousses, might be sub- stituted for the one I have reported upon. It is calculated that the alternative pro- ject will not cost more than the original one.
The
Line No. 4, Mare d'Albert-Cent Gaulettes, is of a peculiar nature. estates "Cent Gaulettes, St. Hubert and Riche en Eau," have a tramway system of uniform gauge, 60 centimetres. It is proposed to connect that system together by a Government line of the same gauge which will serve at the same time "Astrœa and Deux Bras," and will make those fine estates communicate by rail with the Midland line at Mare d'Albert Station. The proposed line will also serve the in- terests of numerous small planters.
IS AN EXPENDITURE OF £200,000 JUSTIFIED?
6. I submit that the experience of the past justifies, at the first blush, the proposed expenditure of £200,000 on railway extensions.
I have given in my detailed reports the numerous reasons which render those railway extensions necessary. I will sum them up:
1st. Necessity of providing cheap means of conveyance which will enable planters generally to make the most of their lands and enable cultivation to be ex- tended to those lands on which the beneficial effects of reafforestation are every year felt.
2nd. Necessity of saving in many cases the small Indian planter from ruin in affording him the means of carrying his produce to the best market.
3rd. Necessity of reaping and of increasing the production of sugar, the Government levying an export duty on the same and receiving every year, in the shape of revenue, about one-third of the export value of the produce of the Colony.
4th. Necessity of inducing planters to do away with their heavy traction engines and automobiles, which damage the main roads and cost the Government thousands of rupees for the maintenance of those roads without bringing in, as a set- off, any appreciable direct revenue.
5th. Necessity of guarding against the reappearance of the surra. 6th. Necessity of providing, for the future generations, a revenue, the railways being called upon to be one of the best proofs of that revenue, and the expenditure of £200,000 or Rs. 3,000,000 will cause an annual charge of Rs. 150,000. The detailed reports prove, beyond any doubt, that the proposed railways, far from causing any dead weight on the budget of this Colony, will, on the contrary, bring in additional revenue and save non-productive expense.
CONSTRUCTION WORKS.
The mode of construction adopted by me is that which was recommended by Mr. John Hawkshaw for the first railways and which has become a tradition in my Department.