PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
mwiwinim
Reference :-
C.O.885
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
18 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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was appointed, is set forth in the fullest manner in the report by Captain G. E. Smith, R.E., dated July 30th, 1905.
It is there clearly shown that the survey had been allowed to fall into grave arrear with the result that the arrangements for transferring land to new settlers were burdened with long delays in the delivery of the deeds, causing serious financial loss both to the Government and to the landowner, and hence, not unnaturally, much grumbling and dissatisfaction.
To say that land settlement is the paramount question in this country is a statement partaking of the nature of a truism, but as it must be kept steadily in mind throughout all discussion of the survey question, it seems well to emphasize it at the outset.
The best, and probably the only, way for this country to become permanently prosperous is by the building up of a profitable agriculture, and hence no effort should be spared to encourage the occupation of new land by white settlers. Should the idea get abroad that the Government does not treat the farmer well, and that the sale or lease of crown lands is accompanied by irksome delays, costly both in time and capital to the intending holder, the opening up of the country may receive a serious check.
Money spent upon survey work of this nature must be regarded largely as capital expenditure, laid out for the development of a great national estate, and as such is quite trifling in amount compared with the sums spent on the railway, public works, and general administration.
Every white man holding land and cultivating it at a profit is both a valuable asset in the present and a pledge of prosperity for the future. Without men of this -class the country must eventually degrade into a mere "plantation" colony, as such inferior in productiveness to others, and quite unable to compete with the abundant fertility of the true tropics.
Primarily, therefore, the object of carrying out a precise survey of the land is to facilitate the sale, lease, and transfer of estates, farms, and building plots. In the second place, we require topographical maps for military and administrative purposes, and for the hundred other uses for which maps of a country are wanted, too familiar to call for detailed enumeration here.
The fact that the survey of British East Africa was falling behind the require- ments of the country obtained practical recognition in the spring of last year, when the Survey Department was enlarged and reconstituted, with Captain G. E. Smith, Roval Engineers, as Director of Surveys. This officer took up his duties in July,
Staff.
1906.
The present strength of the Department is as follows:- Superintending Staff:—
Director of Surveys.
1 Clerk.
Trigonometrical Branch:-
Deputy Director of Surveys (Captain, Royal Engineers). Assistant Director of Surveys (Lieutenant, Royal Engineers). 2 Surveyors (non-commissioned officers, Royal Engineers). Native artizans.
Cadastral Branch:-
Deputy Director of Surveys.
Assistant Director of Surveys.
5 Surveyors.
1 Plan examiner.
4 Draughtsmen and tracers.
5 Indian surveyors.
General Organisation.
The Survey Department is one of several placed under the general direction of the Commissioner of Lands. The relations between the Director and the Commis- sioner were clearly laid down in Colonial Office letter, No. 564, of September 6th, 1906, and are maintained with perfect harmony. It would, however, help to ensure a continuance of smooth working were a Land Board formed with the Commissioner of Lands as President, and the Director of Surveys as a member.
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This Board should see all papers connected with the survey, and one of its duties would be to lay down general lines of policy for the survey work, and to settle the sequence of districts for mapping, a procedure which would give the best possible guarantee that a change of policy is not entered upon without due consideration nor without the arguments, pro and con, being recorded.
In survey work continuity of policy spells economy, while sudden alterations, such as shifting parties from one side of the country to the other, or removing them from one district before their work is completed to begin in a different district where there has been a sudden and, perhaps, temporary demand for maps, spell increased cost and diminished output.
A proposal to constitute such a Board has been already sent to the Secretary of State, and from the point of view of the survey alone it may be strongly urged that it be called together at the earliest practicable date.
Office Buildings.
The headquarter offices of the Survey Department are at present housed at Nairobi in a set of buildings constructed of galvanised iron upon wooden frames which, when those now actually in erection are completed, will give sufficient space for the present staff with moderate additions. The risk of loss by fire is serious. It is presumed that the provision of permanent offices must wait until the whole question of public buildings in Nairobi has been considered with special reference to Mr. Williams' report to the Colonial Office of September, 1906, but should there be likely to be any long delay, it is most desirable that a fireproof plan-room should be provided.
Trigonometrical Work.
The existing strength of the trigonometrical section, viz., two Royal Engineer officers, two non-commissioned officers, and native artizans, is sufficient for all present requirements.
The general scheme of triangulation, drawn up by Captain Smith, seems perfectly suited to the needs of the country. It comprises a main "back bone" of triangulation along the railway from Mombasa to Lake Victoria, connected with the triangulation of the Anglo-German Boundary Commission at three points; a chain running north-east from Nairobi to Mount Kenia and thence westward along the equator joining with the chain along the railway at two points, Kisumu and Nakuru; and, eventually, a chain eastwards from Kenia running down the valley of the Tana River to the coast and thence round to Mombasa. The work will begin at a base measured on the Athi Plains, near Nairobi, and thence the triangulation will be extended, first, in the north-easterly direction to Fort Hall and Kenia, and north-west along the railway. The connexion with the boundary survey will be made at an early date, and by this, combined with the German Usambara triangula- tion, the longitude of the base can be brought up from Zanzibar. A small correction must be applied to the boundary survey points, computed by the Indian tables, to bring them into conformity with Clarke's figure of the earth."
Another base must be measured near Mombasa and the triangulation started along the coast belt as soon as practicable. The main chains of triangles will be observed with 8-inch micrometer theodolites, with which an average triangular error of about two seconds of arc can be obtained. This may appear, at first sight, a rather high standard of accuracy, but it has actually been reached by the present staff in the triangulation work carried out in the Sotik district last year. The excellence of this result is attributable in a very large measure to the care exercised in the erection of the signals. Up to the present very good, but rather heavy and expensive, iron signals have been used. This is an unnecessary extravagance in a country where timber is plentiful, and their use should be discontinued except possibly for a few of the more important points, e.g., the large triangle connecting with the boundary survey.
The employment of wooden signals will not materially diminish the accuracy of the work.
The technical details of the triangulation work may be thus summarised:-
Bases about two miles along, measured with 400-feet steel tapes, standardized
with 100-feet invar. topes.
Base extensions of well conditioned triangles observed at night only to lamp
signals.