dis-
at least
making a
a
the
the
re-
La
cost of
of departmental
the channel
we consider
avoided,
as
we
exceed
but
have
the
is
being
that part
ex-
of the
the exact amount
said,
a
matter
for
present estimated
for avoiding damage
on
cost
for the The estimated
the entire scheme
for contingencies.
the completion
of Rs.20,000 would
an estimate
of
Rs.25,000.
occupied
this bill
needed.
the
To
and
fact
this
used,
that
must
but
of
be
must be
the channel and a certain of establishment and con- is Rs.47,000, and we think to provide, in will now cost only
a generous allowance
work
the reduced
be added Rs.83,000
we trust
for land compensation The balance
Rs.564,000,
sulting
is held
saving
means negligible
But
on
that
every
to
by returning
be
done
for land
effort
all
which has already
will
land
be
made
to
been
reduce
which is not actually
of the total outstanding cost, namely, Re.39,000 out of for emergency expenditure and can be saved. The re- full estimate is thus Rs.350,000, an amount by no
more general grounds than this.
the
in the present financial crisis.
our recommendation
rests
on
far
The Colony cannot afford to proceed at present with the completing of a
the practical result
work
confined
to so few,
and
of
which is experimental,
the benefit
the financial effect of which must
be
of which is
an immediate
125
CHAPTER X.-RAILWAYS AND HARBOUR.
The burden
which
Railway Department.
the Government Railways have imposed on
of 30th June, 1931 :-
the finances of the Colony can be measured from the following entries in the balance
Advances
sheet
Balance due for Stores
balance
Rs. 2,973,392 1,970,000
These advances cover the accumulated deficit resulting from the of expenditure over revenue. The stores account is for the stores credited to the railway, when it was organized in 1926 as a commercial department. With this exception the Railway Department started its commercial career free of all liability for capital charges, the interest on all loans continuing to be met by general revenues. The loss on the railways now amounts to nearly three million rupees. Any hope of building up a depreciation fund has disappeared. On gross figures of revenue and expenditure the loss was Rs.284,000 in 1929-30, Rs.1,042,000 in 1930-31 (includ- ing Rs.618,000 for capital charges and renewals), and the budget for the present year estimates a deficit of Rs.730,000, of which Rs.200,000 is due to the in the volume of the sugar crop owing to the hurricane. A revised estimate puts the loss at as much as
for the increasing deficit is clearly shown in the
Rs.876,000.
2. The reason
loss
Γ
loss.
10.
We
wish,
however, to make it
immediate cessation which is necessary
made
of expenditure
to obviate
with reference solely
and does
irrigation.
when other
ehould
has
the
be
not
clear
on
the danger
of necessity involve
that
our recommendation for the this work, except
for the minimum
of damage to private property, is
to the existing financial situation of the Colony,
the final abandonment
is both desirable and likely,
On the contrary,
and
made
we think that
it
more favourable conditions return,
to utilize productively
The construction
been incurred.
work
accomplished
is
it impossible to complete
present estimate.
prove
to
be
the extension cultivation
margin
during
of
sound
of
Yet
we
financial
the
area
such that
it
is
that
some
of
a scheme for
further
attempt
the large capital expenditure which
so
far advanced,
the cessation
without
are
policy
under
far
to
from being
of
work
convinced
and
now
that
the nature of
will
it
not make
will
ever
much special expenditure outside the
these irrigation resources
use
sugar
in Mauritius would appear
cannot
such cultivation
of price depression. the land which
periods
other form
of developing
for
some
adopted
before
decision.
should
might
the
In
engage question
any
the
be
cane.
to
show
made
We would
La Nicoliere
for which
of cultivation
the consideration of completing
event, however,
be conditional upon
commercial
on a real
We
which
sider
make
the
the
of revenue
basis.
the
no recommendation
water
point
from
from
La
we
price
at
Nicoliere
more particularly
fees
or
other
in
is
the
feel
of
The
to
that
it
recent
yield
land
might
a
history
on
solely for
of
sugar
the economic
profitable
return
suggest scheme might ultimately serve the Department scheme
that the possibility
be more specially
of
that
water
present
now
our
payments
in
being
is
again
of Agriculture
brought
the completion
to
the
regard
used,
examination
for
services
of
consumer
to
the
as
we
of
the
rendered.
out for
the scheme
being
fixed
irrigation for
propose
to
con-
existing sources
by
Government.
excellent sectional costing figures which the late aćting General Manager (Mr. Tanner) has prepared for 1930.
The goods service pays :—
Earnings Rs.1,124,972.
The passenger service loses :—
Earnings Rs.606,241.
And,
traffic
lest
Expenditure-Rs.938,519.
Expenditure-Rs. 1,633,539.
306
it may be supposed that this immense loss on passenger is the result of an undue allocation of overhead charges to that branch, it is enough to say that in the year only 37 per cent. of the carriage accommodation was occupied, and that, leaving out all question of overhead charges, the direct cost of moving the passenger traffic was Rs.57,000 more than the receipts from face an annual loss of one million action must be taken, and, to the competition of motor traffic forward by the new General
tickets.
It
is clearly impossible to rupees on passenger traffic. Some
the loss is manifestly due
as
on
the roads, the scheme
Manager is one
This
scheme
has
of
action
put
as
the judicious co-ordination
of governmental restrictions upon this competition.
been described and road traffic" and takes the general form of establishing a Transport Directorate, of which, presumably, the General Manager of Railways will be a member, armed with powers the
of
rail