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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 882

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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The Surveyor-General replies that the task varies according to the nature and difficulties of the work. He will send in special notes on the subject. (Vide annexure.)

The Surveyor-General further explains that he can easily procure labourers because they are paid every week. With equal wages the Indian has more confidence in the Government than in a private party. On sugar estates the day-men are not called upon every day to perform the same work, whilst on a railway work, they are classified according to the work they are best fitted to perform, and they are sure to get work for a certain time; the conditions are altogether different, that is why they are inclined to offer their services to Government.

On a question from the Chairman about the proportion of women employed, the Surveyor-General replies that the number of women employed varies according to the importance of the work. When the men's number is 1,500, that of the women is from 400 to 500. The women get R. 0.40c. a day. Every female sirdar has under her orders a gang of women. A female sirdar gets R. 0.50 a day.

One of the advantages which the men and women living in town get in being employed on railway construction is that every afternoon they go home with a small bundle of firewood composed chiefly of wood and brushwood coming from the line.

The Chairman asks the Surveyor-General whether he is not of opinion that it would be advisable to send for labourers from India, in order not to remove hands from agriculture.

The Surveyor-General replies that it would be impossible for him to work with coolies recently introduced, unless choice men be sent for, whose cost would be at least R. 1 per diem, not reckoning the cost of huts Government would have to build for them.

The Surveyor-General is of opinion that the number of efficient men who would be withdrawn from agriculture, should the three lines be constructed at the same time, will not exceed 1,500. The remainder are not employed on sugar estates, not even in the docks, and the best proof of it is that the docks pay as much to the labourers at present employed by them, although about nine hundred men and women, coming chiefly from Port Louis were discharged a fortnight ago on the Black River. Railway.

The Hon. Souchon asks whether it would not be advisable to employ a smaller number of labourers, and thereby to proceed with the work more slowly.

The Surveyor-General replies that instead of constructing the work in eight months, he might take more time. Then instead of employing labourers to finish in six months, he could employ less men, but keep them for a longer time.

The Hon. Souchon asks whether, in the Surveyor-General's opinion, two-thirds of the staff he employs in the construction of a line could not be made up of coolies sent for from India.

The Surveyor-General replies in the affirmative but adds that coolies would cost dearer, would give less work at the outset and would be of no use to Government when the work is over.

The Hon. Souchon asks whether the Government could not let the planters have them afterwards.

The Surveyor-General replies that this would depend upon circumstances. For example, if there is a cyclone or a drought, which would be the cause of planters having no need of those men, what would Government do with them?

The Hon. Souchon asks whether Government, taking in consideration the great number of its works, could not find employment for them.

The Surveyor-General replies that should Government adopt this view, the Government would be compelled to withdraw work from the people they usually employ and thus starve them.

The Hon. Souchon is of opinion that the cost of a man introduced would not be dearer than that of a man employed here by the Surveyor-General. On sugar estates the cost per head is generally taken at 50 c. per diem.

The Chairman asks the Surveyor-General whether he does not mean that by employing 500 efficient men at the same time, he would undertake the construction of three railway lines at the same time.

The Surveyor-General replies that it is not likely the several projected lines will have to be constructed within the time mentioned in the reports, but if such were the case 6,000 workmen and labourers would have to be employed at the same time on the Black River Railway and the four projected lines.

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The Chairman then puts the following question:

Granting that in accordance with the information just supplied by the Surveyor- General, it cannot be expected that the several lines can be constructed within the delay contemplated, what would be the number of efficient men who would have to be employed: 1o. for the line Pamplemousses--Grand Gaube-Poudre d'Or; 20. for the line Pamplemousses St. Julien ?

The Surveyor-General replies:

With the help of 500 efficient men for each line, about one mile or 1 mile work could be done per month. If this number of men were reduced, the construction would be reduced in the same proportion.

Mr. Dumat asks whether in speaking of 1,500 men the Surveyor-General takes

in account the number of men who may be absent or ill.

The Surveyor-General replies that the instructions he gives are to the effect that the same number of men must be employed every day. He replaces those who are absent by employing others.

The Chairman asks:

Is there any control which can lead to ascertain that men engaged on sugar estate are not employed by Government?

The Surveyor-General replies that they are asked the place where they come from. The managers of the neighbouring sugar estates are invited to visit the line so as to see whether there are no men belonging to them who are employed in the construction of the line. When the Surveyor-General wants a certain number of labourers, he sends a wire from his office in which he orders to take on the required number of men; his instructions are that the place where the labourers come from should be ascertained. The labourers so employed are not required to produce any papers. He has been at work on the Black River line at Albion and Médine which he has now reached. It is not to his knowledge that the managers of these two sugar estates have ever complained that their men have been employed on the line.

Mr. Carcenac asks the Surveyor-General whether the owner of Médine has not forbidden passing on his estate.

The Surveyor-General replies that he went yesterday to Médine, and that he saw his men on Médine's road.

Mr. Maurel asks:

As regards the lines to be created in the north of the island, do you not think that the managers of sugar estates in that part having no prospect next year of constructing a large number of tramways as they did this year through the means of transport being less scarce, will feel easier, and that the question of the manual labour will be less awkward?

The Surveyor-General replies that there is not the slightest doubt about it; a conclusive fact to establish that it is not necessary to send for men from India for railway construction is that sugar estates have had this year to construct 400 or 500 kilometres of tramway lines, which constitutes a considerable extra work for those estates, and they did so without sending for men from India. The Surveyor-General is of opinion that Government would be guilty of an evident want of forethought if they were to import labourers from India for the construction of the several lines when there are in the Colony thousands of labourers who are starving during the entrecoupe, who commit thefts, many of whom may be seen either in prison or being provided for by the Poor Law Commission.

The Hon. Duclos asks whether it would not be possible to get the railway material in August, 1904.

The Surveyor-General replies that it is difficult to reply to the question, as the order has to be made on the Crown Agents, and these latter take more time in comply- ing with an order than, for example, a private firm. If tenders were called for in Mauritius, private undertakers would readily supply the material required in time.

In the case of the tramway of Port Louis and of the Bois Cheri, Nouvelle France lines it was Messrs. Blyth Brothers who supplied the material.

The General Manager of Railways states that if a telegram were sent immediately to England, three engines could be got before six months, because it would be the continuation of the order already sent respecting the engines of the Black River line. As regard the rails, this depends on the orders manufacturers have in hand already.

The orders for the rails required for the Black River line were sent in July, the rails were delivered in London on the 11th November.

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