| | | | | | | | | | | || | ||||||
། ། ། ། །
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
19
80
6. It is, of course, true that most of these arrears date from a period before the formation of the separate Survey Department; but the old combined Land and I do not think Survey Department was terribly understaffed and overworked. enough credit has been given to Mr. Barton Wright and his staff for the large amount of solid work that was done by them in the face of great difficulties. The country was little known; when an applicant asked for land some one had to be sent to see where it was; and when the position was located, its survey could only be effected in its turn by a totally inadequate staff of surveyors. I consider it only just to make these remarks that it may not be supposed that no real work was done before the formation of the new Survey Department.
The statements attached to Major Smith's report show the work done in the last three years, that of the year 1906-07 being given by months.
7. I endorse all that Major Hills says on the importance of a strong section for the Coast Survey. He has by no means overstated the loss that will result to the Government, and the litigation that will be fostered by any delay in completely surveying the coast strip.
I have already written strongly on this head, and will say no more.
R
8. I do not quite agree with Major Hills's reason for the speedy establishment of the Land Board. He seems to imply that if we do not soon have the Board there will inevitably be a change in policy or break in the sequence of survey." There are no grounds for this supposition. As Major Hills admits, the relations between myself and the Director of Survey are perfectly harmonious, and I have only lately supported all Major Smith's proposals in his programme of work.
I myself shall be glad when the Land Board is established, but it will make no difference in the present position so far as survey work is concerned.
9. I conclude by saying that I believe good work was done during the past year by Major Smith and his staff of officers.
His Excellency the Commissioner.
15359
I have, &c.,
J. MONTGOMERY,
Commissioner for Lands.
81
2. I am informed that an estimate cannot be made at present owing to the want of information as to the scale on which the survey should be made: that is to say, whether the whole area should be surveyed on a scale of 1/25,000, or whether work on this scale should be confined to those portions over which mining rights have been obtained, the survey of the remaining portion, including those areas over which prospecting rights were obtained by the Niger Company but which have been relinquished by the Company on their selecting areas for actual mining opera- tions, being plotted on a smaller scale, say, 1/125,000. The latter course would involve considerably less expense than the former, and, as several trigonometrical points would be determined in the course of the work, only slight expense would be incurred in making a cadastral survey of any areas which may be taken up in the
future.
3. A further question arises as to whether Mr. Scott's services should be retained for the survey. His engagement will shortly expire and, if provision for the survey is made in the Estimates for the year 1908-9, the work cannot well be begun until July or August, 1908. I understand also that it is doubtful whether he is properly qualified for the work, especially in view of the reference to the slow- ness of his methods made by Sir F. Lugard in the enclosure to his despatch, No. 153, of the 22nd of March, 1906.*
4. I should be glad to be furnished with your views on these points at an
date.
20970
early
I have, &c.,
ELGIN.
No. 51.
UGANDA.
THE ACTING COMMISSIONER to THE SECRETARY OF STATE.
(Received 9.40 a.m., June 13, 1907.) TELEGRAM.
No. 24. In reply to your Lordship's telegram of 4th June,† Chief Surveyor requires two or three months compute latitude and longitude before sheet lines can be fixed, and sheets completed and sent home.-WILSON.
Reference :-
C.O.885
18 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
No. 49.
UGANDA.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE ACTING COMMISSIONER.
(Sent 4.15 p.m., June 4, 1907.)
TELEGRAM.
[Answered by No. 51.]
June 4. With reference to Hills's report topographical work, send home as soon as possible sheets referred to, any additional information may be sent home later.-ELGIN.
14022
No. 50.
NORTHERN NIGERIA.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE HIGH COMMISSIONER.
[Answered by No. 82.]
Downing Street, June 11, 1907.
(No. 287.) SIR,
I HAVE the honour to inform you that, on the receipt of Mr. Wallace's despatch, No. 115, of the 23rd of March last,* Mr. Scott was instructed to place himself in communication with the Topographical Section of the War Office with a view to the framing of an estimate of the cost of a survey of the tin-mining area in Northern Nigeria.
• No. 31.
↑ No. 45.
21912
SIR,
No. 52.
UGANDA.
TREASURY to COLONIAL OFFICE. (Received June 20, 1907.)
[Copy to Acting Commissioner, Uganda, July 12, 1907. No. 163. L.F.]
[Answered by No. 62.]
Treasury Chambers, June 19, 1907.
THE Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury have had before them Mr. Cox's letter (16336/1907), of the 18th ultimo, with its enclosed copy of a joint letter of the 7th ultimo from the Royal Society, the Royal Geographical Society, the Royal Astronomical Society, and the British Association for the Advancement of Science, urging that the Anglo-Congolese Boundary Commission should measure (between 15th January and 31st May, 1908) that portion of the arc of the meridian 30° east of Greenwich which lies within the sphere of their operations, and promising to subscribe £1,000 towards the expenses (estimated by them at £2,000) of such measurement, in addition to lending two Repsold theodolites for the purpose.
In reply, I am to request you to inform the Earl of Elgin that their Lordships agree in principle that this service, which is not only recommended by such high scientific authority, but is supported by a promised subscription of a moiety of its estimated cost, should be undertaken accordingly by the Boundary Commission.
• No. 72 in African No. 777.
29131
↑ No. 49.
‡ No. 41.
L