CO882-(4-5) — Page 6

CRPE

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :--

C.O. 882

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

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9. I confirm the opinion expressed in paragraph 2 in my Report of November 23, 1886, that in the event of the works of construction being carried out in the Colony departmentally under the conditions named by me, I should expect to see a saving of between Rupees 300,000 and 400,000. I may remind you that in paragraphs 3 and 4 of that Report, I alluded to possible savings estimated at Rupees 271,458. It may be right that I should explain that in not taking these into account in my estimate, I did not wish to throw discredit upon them, but I had not before me sufficient evidence to adopt them. 10. I cannot conclude this Report without bearing my testimony to the great ability shown by Mr. Waring in the papers which have been under my consideration in reference to the Haputale Extension. To any reader they bear the marks of a large amount of sound information and conscientious labour, and as an engineer I see in them evidences of professional ability and practical knowledge which entitle all he may say to the fullest consideration.

I have, &c.

CHARLES HUTTON GREGORY,

Consulting Engineer.

(Signed)

No. 23.

GOVERNOR THE HON. SIR A. H. GORDON, G.C.M.G., to the RIGHT HON. SIE H. T. HOLLAND, Bart., G.C.M.G., M.P. (Received March 21, 1887.)

/ No. 72.

SIR,

Queen's House, Colombo, Ceylon, February 17, 1887.

I HAVE the honour to transmit a copy of a memoranduu which I caused to be sent to Mr. J. F. Dickson, C.M.G., Colonial Secretary of the Straits Settlements, in reply to his memorandum, dated Singapore, 20th December 1886,* complaining of certain statements in my Despatch to Earl Granville, No. 257, of 23rd June last.†

Mr. Dickson states that he has himself forwarded a copy of his memorandum to you through the proper channel.

I have, &c. (Signed)

The Right Hon. Sir H. T. Holland, Bart., M.P., G.C.M.G.,

&c.

&c.

&c.

Enclosure in No. 23.

MEMORANDUM by His Excellency the GOVERNOR.

A. GORDON.

MR. J. F. DICKSON, C.M.G., Colonial Secretary of the Straits Settlements, complains of two statements contained in my Despatch, No. 257, of the 23rd June last.

2. The first of these occurs in paragraph 12, in which I remark that the opinion apparently prevailing in England that the present period is "one of great financial trouble in Ceylon, and that "the annual receipts are barely sufficient to allow the "ordinary administration of the Colony to be efficiently carried on," is based less upon the actual condition of facts, as they now stand, than upon "the impression remaining " from the exaggerated alarm which prevailed some three years ago "in consequence of the anticipation of a series of large deficits, estimated, according to Mr. Dickson's calculations appended to the Report of the Retrenchment Committee, as likely to amount to Rs. 1,056,000 in 1885.

The

3. Mr. Dickson devotes five closely printed folio pages to arguments intended to show that the alarm referred to was, in. 1883, neither unnatural nor unreasonable. Very possibly. I have expressed no opinion on that point. But the question whether the apprehensions entertained in 1883 were at that time reasonable, or otherwise, is not now at issue. That they were exaggerated cannot, as a matter of fact, be denied. Retrenchment Committee anticipated a long series of deficits, and Mr. Dickson, working on the figures supplied by the Committee, estimated that by the end of 1885 the deficiency would amount to Rs. 1,056,000. But at the close of that year there was no deficit in the Colonial Revenue, and, on the contrary, a small surplus of income over expenditure was shown. It is therefore clear that the alarm of 1883 was an exaggerated alarm, nor can any human power show it to have been otherwise. I did not attribute to Mr. Dickson the origin of this alarm, but quoted his figures as putting into tangible

• No. 20.

↑ No. 8,

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form (and I am not aware that it was done by anyone else, or in any other paper) the rather general and vaguely expressed apprehensions of the Retrenchment Committee.

acre.

12

4. The other passage in my despatch of which Mr. Dickson complains, is the assertion in paragraph 21, that "the yield of coffee in Uva (except possibly on some "highly-favoured and exceptional spot) never amounted to 11 wt. the Mr. Dickson observes on this, and observes correctly, that in his administration report, to which reference is made, the high rate of production just mentioned is only said by him to have been attained in the Haputale District, and he finds it "difficult to under- "stand how Sir A. Gordon can have confounded Uva and Haputale." I have not done so. Haputale is an important district of the province of Uva, (the access to which by railway was the matter in discussion), and my assertion was intended to apply to the whole province without any exception. I see no reason to qualify, and I now confi- dentially repeat, my conviction that Mr. Dickson was in error in supposing that in any part of the province of Uva, whether in the district of Haputale or in any other district, such a yield of coffee as 11 cwt. per acre was ever attained, "except possibly in some highly-favoured and exceptional spot." By the word "spot" I mean some particular estate, or some particular fields of some particular estate; and Mr. Dickson, it appears to me, hardly displays his wonted accuracy when he seeks to apply the term "spot" to a large and populous district, containing already between 70 and 80 opened estates, and acreage sufficient to open many more.

"

5. I regret that Mr. Dickson should have felt in any manner annoyed or aggrieved by my references to him, but his susceptibility appears to me uncalled for. As I have already said, I had no intention in quoting Mr. Dickson's figures to attribute to him the origin of the exaggerated aların to which I referred, or of expressing an opinion as to the grounds which may have existed four years ago for entertaining it.

I have never myself felt it, but I can understand others having done so,

6. As regards the second passage, I can only repeat that I see no reason to alter my opinion that Mr. Dickson was mistaken in supposing that in any part of the province of Uva, (of which Haputale is an important district) the average yield of coffee at any time equalled 11 cwt. per acre, and my remarks were therefore, so far as I can see, perfectly legitimate.

7. Being anxious to learn whether any correction was required in the statement made as to this point in the Report of the Railway Commission and adopted by me, I applied for information to a gentleman, who has been for more than 20 years a planter in Haputale, and now represents the Planters' Association in the Legislative Council. I then found that Mr. Dickson had sought information from the same source. That information is not embodied in Mr. Dickson's memorandum, but may now be quoted with advantage. Mr. Downall wrote thus to Mr. Dickson" You may trust to my love of fair play in telling you that you were certainly not correct in putting "down the normal yield of Haputale, with its two crops a year, at 11 cwts, an acre (if "not 12 cwts.) in its palmy days. really have no recollection of your ever asking me "for any information on the subject. I most certainly never gave auch information as you suggest to anybody. My knowledge of Uva, and I may say my intimate knowledge, extending over the past 22 years, is such that I am convinced no estate

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ever gave an average of 11 cwts, an acre; one or two estates may have done it in a particular year, and portions of au estate may have given even more. In 1885 certain "Helds on a certain estate gave 10 cwts, an acre, but there never was any single year in "Uva when the district averaged 11 cwt, an acre, or anything approaching to it; and I

am certain no calculations were ever made on such a yield.'

4th February, 1887.

A. H. G.

"

No. 24.

The RIGHT HON. Sia H. T. HOLLAND, BART., G.C.M.G., M.P., to GOVERNOR THE HON. SIR A. H. GORDON, G.C.M.G. (No. 102.)

SIB,

1

Downing Street, April 6, 1887.

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Despatch, No. 72, of 17th of February last, transmitting a copy of a Memorandum in reply to a letter from Mr. J. F. Dickson, on the subject of proposed railway extension in Ceylon.

Bir A. H. Gordon.

• No. 28.

R 2

I have, &c. (Signed) H. T. HOLLAND.

*