CO882-(3-4) — Page 681

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O.882

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4 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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76. The contractors for the Nánu-oya Railway also received the sum of Rs. 12,000 for opening the line to Taláwakelé in advance of the contract date, and I suppose that even they would not seriously contend that this sum actually represented their increased expenditure on this account, and if not, the balance remaining, which I imagine formed a large portion of it, must be viewed as a bonus or free gift to them, which, under the departmental system, would have been saved to the Government.

77. It must be remembered that much of the uncertainty regarding the actual cost of the railway would be removed if it were executed under a strictly lump or guaranteed contract, where the contractor agrees to make the line complete, and to run the risk of all contingencies for a fixed sum; but in this case the employment of a contractor of the highest standing, and possessing the most ample resources, is essential; and it is most unlikely that a contractor of this class would tender on these terms for a railway like that to Haputalé, on which the works are very heavy, and which runs through an uninhabited country, without setting down so large a margin to meet every possible

my estimate. contingency, that his price for the work would probably much exceed

78. I consider that even under a schedule contract a tenderer for the Haputalé railway would probably place a considerable margin on his prices to meet contingencies, which, from my knowledge of the district traversed, are not likely to occur to any large or unforeseen extent; and, therefore, having regard to the special circumstances of the Haputalé extension, I do not hesitate to strongly recommend that Government should run the risk of these contingencies and make the line departmentally.

79. If it be decided to make the line departmentally, a very large discretion must be allowed to the Chief Engineer, who should be as much as possible unfettered as regards the prices paid and the staff required. The District Engineers should be experienced men, having special knowledge of the construction of railways in hilly countries. There should be a special store under a proper storekeeper at some point upon the work, whence all materials ordinarily required for it could be drawn as desired without the delays that must attend upon requisitions on the Colonial store at so great a distance from the line, which might, however, still be drawn upon in the event of any article needed not being in stock.

Should the plan of executing the work departimentally be entertained, I should, if required, be prepared to submit a plan of operations detailing the approximate staff required, and their duties.

80. If the departmental system be adopted, I think there is a reasonable hope of a very sensible reduction upon my estimate for the works included in schedule No. 1, for the following reasons:—

(a.) There is no doubt but that the Nánu-oya railway contract has been a profitable one; from my general knowledge of the prices paid by the contractors, I should think that had more foresight estimate this profit at least at 10 per cent., and

been exercised, and their general administration of the work been better, a much larger profit might have been realized.

(b.)

fail to see any reason why work should not be executed as cheaply by Government as by a contractor, if the engineers are experienced men, and if they are allowed the same discretionary powers as those granted by a contractor to his agents, and the task or piecework system be, as it should be whenever possible, adopted, especially in view of the fact that at the commencement of a work a contractor, for financial or other reasons, not uncommonly endeavours to take in hand the items for which he has the most remunerative prices, although his profit on the work as a whole may ultimately be lessened thereby. It is needless to say that no considerations of this nature would have any weight with an engineer in carrying on the work departmentally, as he would in that case be solely influenced by the ultimate results he desired to obtain.

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It is, however, possible that prices upon the Haputalé railway would be generally somewhat higher than on the Nanu-oya line. As regards lime, cement, and explosives, this would certainly be the case, and I therefore set down a reduction of only 7 per cent. upon the cost of the works included in schedule No. 1, though I think it very possible a much more favourable result might be obtained, as all that should be counted upon with any degree of confidence by the adoption of the departmental system.

The amount of this schedule, including maintenance for one year, thus becomes Rs. 4,467,758.83, and if to this be added the amount of schedule No. 2 as above, the total estimated cost of the railway fully equipped for traffic, if executed on the depart- miental system—namely, Rs. 5,987,649 84—is arrived at; this sum is equal (rupees being taken at 18. 7a. each) to 474,0221., giving a mileage rate of Rs. 235,760, equal to 18,6641.

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In this estimate no account is taken of the additional savings referred to in paragraphs 31, 46, and 47 of this report. Should these anticipated, or others equivalent to them, be realized in construction, as I confidently hope will to a large extent, if not completely, be the case, the cost of the line will be reduced by a further sum of Rs. 257,588, or say by Rs. 10,000 per mile.

81. I think the employment of pioneers upon the work would be very desirable, as rendering the engineer to a large extent independent of ordinary masons, who might otherwise demand exorbitant rates, and consider that there is no reason why the cost of work executed by the pioneers, if they are properly tasked and supervised, which is of course essential, should compare unfavourably with the cost of work executed by other masons, inasmuch as the non-effective charges attendant upon the employment of that force should be quite, if not more than, balanced by the saving arising from their skill as experienced masons and their superior organization.

82. As regards the employment of prisoners, I am not quite so clear; the cost of their work, however, if they are properly tasked, does not, I understand, exceed that of free labour, if the cost of the necessary guards, &c., and all other extraneous expenses be otherwise charged.

The principal difficulty would be in providing quarters for them, which must, I imagine, be more securely built, in order to avoid any risk of their escaping, than those ordinarily occupied by coolies or other workmen; and there being very few, if any, single works upon the extension of sufficient magnitude to provide employment for any considerable number of men for more than a few months, or say a year at the outside, the recurrence of expenditure for the erection of these quarters would, I fear, unless otherwise charged, render their work very unprofitable.

Harbour work differs greatly from railway work, inasmuch as in the former the expenditure is incurred at only one or two points, and is possibly spread over several years at them, while on railway works the expenditure is incurred at several points at once, which are constantly changing as the work proceeds.

Having stated this difficulty, I leave it to the Government, as I have had no personal experience of the terms upon which prisoners are employed upon public works, to decide whether it be chimerical or otherwise, and, if the latter, to determine upon the possibility of its removal, on which the remunerative employment of prisoners upon the Haputalé railway depends.

83. I would, however, point out that if all the pioneers be employed, and that even if it were possible to employ also all the prisoners in Ceylon upon the work, which is of course out of the question, it would be necessary, in order to complete it within a reasonable period, to largely reinforce this staff of workmen by other labour.

The strength of the pioneer force on 31st December 1883, appears from the Adminis- tration Report of the Director of Public Works for that year to have been 511 men, while the average daily number of all the prisoners in Ceylon during 1883 appears from the Administration Report of the Inspector-General of Prisons for that year to have been 2,688-82.

84. I estimate that to make the extension to Haputalé, if the works be vigorously proceeded with, should occupy about 3 years, and it would be of course to the manifest advantage of Government to carry on the work as rapidly as possible without unduly raising the rates of labour, as a return for the expenditure entailed is thus sooner derived, and the cost of the supervising staff of engineers and others continues for a less time.

To effect this end the bulk of the earthwork must be finished in 24 years, equal to, say, 750 working days, and to do this I estimate that an average number of 3,500 coolies must be continuously employed upon it for that period, without taking into account the labour force that must be employed upon the construction of the culverts and bridges, which must advance simultaneously with, or even a little in advance of, the earthwork, and the miners, blacksmiths, carpenters, platelayers, and others who must also be engaged. Upon the whole, therefore, to complete the railway within 3 years, I should roughly estimate that an average daily effective labour force of about 4,500 to 5,000 perions must be continuously employed.

85. This report is accompanied with full and detailed schedules and lists comprising all the work included in Schedule No. 1 of the estimate, and also with a tracing of the longitudinal section on 26 sheets, giving details of the distribution of the earthwork, as well as with 21 tracings showing the more important modifications in the various structures, stations, &c. now proposed. A full list of these documents and drawings is appended.

86. I have not thought it necessary to prepare fresh drawings of the masonry of the bridges, as the drawings Nos. 16, 17, and 19 to 27 inclusive, submitted with my letter,

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