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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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C.O. 882

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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the north line and passing through Long Mountain and Ville Bague, have the honour to enclose the minutes of our proceedings, from which it will be seen that it has been resolved to recommend that the projected line should start from Terre Rouge railway station and have its terminus near the police station of Long Mountain for the present.

According to an estimate of the Surveyor-General, the construction of that line, together with the necessary engines, platforms and stations, would not cost more than Rs. 180,000 in round figures.

The decision to stop near Long Mountain police station has been arrived at by the Commission on account of the following opinion, expressed by Mr. Le Juge de Segrais in a report dated 18th March, 1897, whilst he was Acting Surveyor-General:-

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'The scheme had to be given up after a preliminary survey had been made, and this on account of the obstacles met between Bon Amout Mountain and Grande Rosalie. The ground there is very much cut up by ravines, which could not be avoided, so that they would have had to be bridged; the cost of laying a line under these conditions would have been prohibitive, so that the final survey of the intended railway has been restricted to the Montagne Longue Valley."

The line of railway, which, upon the suggestion of the Honourable the Surveyor- General, we recommend should be constructed is a light one, about 34 miles long, of the same gauge as the Midland and North lines, which will allow of our present rolling stock being utilized, and avoid transhipment at Terre Rouge.

We need not comment long upon the hardships which the inhabitants have had to suffer through the prevalence of the surra in this island last year; even with a rather considerable number of animals the crop could only be made with difficulty, and in many cases a good portion of the canes had to be left in the fields. This year it is a problem how the crop will be made, unless the inhabitants are helped by the Government by the creation of the railway line to Long Mountain.

Apart from the above considerations, which are of vital importance, many others, not less serious, militate in favour of the creation of that line of railway. The expendi- ture incurred by the Government under the item "Transport" for the services of the Hospital, Health Department, Police, Post Office, &c., is no doubt gradually increasing through the scarcity of draught animals, and that means of transport is now even hardly possible.

Besides, Long Mountain would become a sanatorium and a place of resort for the fever-stricken inhabitants of the locality. Small villas would be erected there, and let at prices proportionate to the means of those who would have migrated.

The cost of the line being only Rs. 180,000, the annual charge for interest and sinking fund will be Rs. 9,000. It is certain that such a small charge on the revenue would be easily compensated by the traffic of the line, which will be not only self- supporting but will increase the revenue of the North line.

Under these circumstances, we consider that the laying of a line from Terre Rouge to the police station of Long Mountain must forcibly commend itself to Your Excellency's favourable consideration, and we hope that Your Excellency will be pleased to give this question an early solution in the sense recommended by us.

March 10, 1903.

To His Excellency

EMILE SAUZIER, Fils

J. A. BLACKBURN.

R. MELOTTE.

G. DE CORIOLIS.

L. ANTELME.

A. ULCOQ.

Sir Charles Bruce, G.C.M.G.,

Governor of Mauritius and its Dependencies. &c., &c., &c.

H. LECLÉZIO.

A. AMIC.

DR. GATCHAM. R. W. DowSON. J. A. DUCLOS.

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No. 1.

MINUTES of the Proceedings of the Meeting of the Long Mountain Railway Commission, held at Government House, on Thursday, the 29th January, 1903.

PRESENT:-

The Honourable Emile Sauzier, Esq., Chairman.

1.

2.

3.

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4. Dr. G. Atcham.

G. de Coriolis, Esq., Surveyor-General. Leopold Antelme, Esq.

5.

Robert Melotte, Esq.

6.

J. A. Blackburn, Esq.

Antoine Ulcoq, Esq.

7. A. Amic, Esq.

8.

ABSENT:-

9. R. W. Dowson, Esq., Acting General Manager of Railways.

10. The Honourable Henry Leclézio, C.M.G.

11.

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J. A. Duclos, Esq.

Read Proclamation No. 58 of the 1st December, 1902, constituting and appointing

The Honourable Epaminondas Emile Sauzier,

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Gustave de Coriolis, Surveyor-General,

Henry Leclézio, C.M.G.,

J. A. Duclos,

Leopold Antelme,

R. W. Dowson, Esq., Acting General Manager of Railways,

Antoine Ulcoq, Esq.,

A. Blackburn, Esq.,

Albert Melotte, Esq., and

A. Amic, Esq.,

to be a Commission for the purpose of considering and reporting on the expediency of creating a branch line of railway starting from some point on the north line and passing through Long Mountain and Ville Bague.

Read Colonial Secretary's letter, No. 10,827, of the 3rd December, 1902, appoint- ing the Honourable Emile Sauzier to be chairman of the above Commission.

Read Proclamation No. 62 of the 18th December, 1902, constituting and appointing George Atcham, Esq., M.D., Paris, to be a member of the Commission appointed for the purpose above stated.

Read Colonial Secretary's letter, No. 11,532, of the 10th December, 1902, reappointing Mr. Joseph Pilot to be secretary to the Long Mountain Railway Com- mission.

The chairman, on taking the chair, explains to the Commission the object for which they have been convened. The Governor's Minute of the 18th October, 1902, which makes the history of the whole question of the projected line, is read to them.

The chairman lays on the table the old plan, drawn up by Mr. Connal, and that more recently made by Mr. Parsons, together with the joint report of Messrs. Emile Pitot, General Manager of Railways, and Paul Lejuge de Segrais, the then Acting Surveyor-General, under date the 18th March, 1897, which concludes that the opening of a branch line of railway passing through Long Mountain and Ville Bague such as it was proposed it should be directed, and having l'Industrie Estate as terminus, would not be a paying investment, the cost of the line having been estimated at Rs. 404,086.76.

The Honourable the Surveyor-General submits whether in terms of the Proclamation, it is indispensable that the proposed line should pass through both Mountain Long and Ville Bague. He states that l'Industrie Estate will, ere long, be provided with traction engines, and that there is every reason to believe the estate will not use the railway at all.

After discussion the Commission are of opinion, Mr. Blackburn dissenting, that in presence of the obstacles mentioned by Mr. Lejuge de Segrais, the proposed line should not be extended to Ville Bague, and agree that it should stop at the hospital of Long Mountain.

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