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Light Railway Board, suggesting that only those lines or portions of lines which could be completed in time for the next crop should be undertaken this year, and recommending that the following branch lines be first constructed :—

On the North line :-

1. From Poudre d'Or to the Vale, about ten miles

2. From Mapou to Australia, about seven miles...

On the Midland line:-

3. Mare d'Albert to Cent Gaulettes

£36,000 29,000

18,000

£81,000

The Council advise that the Council of Government be asked to sanction the revised scheme suggested by the Surveyor-General, and that an Ordinance be then introduced, subject to the approval of the Secretary of State, embodying the sum required for the construction of these new lines, and for the purchase of the neces- sary rolling-stock, as also the further loans contemplated for the Mare-aux-Vacoas and the Drainage Extension Works, and that the sum of Rs. 255,000 required for the additional rolling-stock for the Black River and Long Mountain lines, he referred to in Minute 34 of 1903, addressed to the Council, be incorporated as an addition to the loan for new railways.

His Honour the Officer Administering the Government concurs, and orders accordingly.

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payment or charges and bind themselves to send their produce by rail for a term of years.

The Pamplemousses-Grand-Gaube-Poudre d'Or Extension Commissioners have pointed out that the important question whether the line they propose will be self- supporting can only be ascertained by very careful investigation, and they have suggested that the General Manager of Railways should be asked to give a detailed estimate of the anticipated revenue. This suggestion applies equally to all the projected lines, and the Light Railway Board will certainly bear it in mind before making their final reports.

While the Governor does not doubt that the schemes recommended by the Com- missioners will be found well adapted to extend to the important districts included in them the facilities for transport accorded to other districts and now rendered absolutely necessary by the failure of animal transport, it would be premature to ask the Council to come to a final decision until the reports of the Light Railway Board are received. The Council will probably prefer to deal with the Board's report on each project separately, as soon as received, although it will be of advantage to include in one Loan Ordinance the whole amount that may have to be raised by loan for the construction of the plans finally adopted.

The Governor submits to the Council at the same time an extract from the Annexure Minutes of Proceedings of the Railway Board at a meeting held on the 8th instant, I. containing a resolution of the Board on the subject of a report by the General Manager on the urgent necessity of increased rolling-stock.

III.

With reference to the limitation of the number of waggons ordered for the Annexure current crop, referred to in the General Manager's report, the Governor annexes a copy of a Minute to the Railway Board explaining the decision of the Governor in Executive Council. The establishment of a service of night trains has been carried out with every advantage.

1902.

On the 28th of November, 1902, the Governor addressed to the Council a Minute No. 38 of showing the expenditure on railway plant and permanent way for the four years ending June 30th, 1902. The total expenditure amounted to Rs. 2,269,902, distri- buted as follows:-

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

TPEPEC.O. 882

8

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

No. 25 of 1903.

Enclosure 5 in No. 129.

MINUTE.

EXTENSION OF RAILWAY SYSTEM.

The Governor has the honour to lay on the Table of Council the reports of the Commissioners appointed to consider the further extension of the railway system of the Colony, together with a general report by the Honourable G. de Coriolis, Surveyor-General.

The new lines recommended by the Commissioners and their estimated cost are as follows:-

1st. A loop light

line, Pamplemousses-The Vale-Schoenfeld (Poudre d'Or), standard gauge, estimated to cost, including rolling-stock

£80,000

2nd. A narrow-gauge light line from Souillac to Baie du Cap,

estimated to cost, including rolling-stock

30,000

3rd. A standard-gauge light line, Pamplemousses to St. Julien

(Flacq), estimated to cost

60,000

4th. A narrow-gauge light line (60 centimetres) from Mare

d'Albert to Cent Gaulettes, estimated to cost

22,000

Total

Contingencies

£192,000 8,000

£200,000

In accordance with the procedure recently adopted and approved by the, Council, the reports of the Commissioners have been referred to the Light Railway Board, and it is probable that the Board may find it necessary to modify the plans recommended by the Commissioners, with a view particularly to securing the adop tion of a tracé passing through land, the owners of which, in so far at least as concerns large estates, will be prepared to give the necessary land free of all

Rolling stock and plant Permanent way, rail, &c. Sidings

Rs. 1,147,196

906,664 216,842

Annexure

The Governor annexes to the General Manager's report a statement of the expenditure for locomotive and carriage rolling-stock from July 1, 1902, to June 30, IV. 1903, amounting to Rs. 397,646; together with a statement by the General Manager that the amount paid for rails, sleepers and permanent way during the same financial year amounted to Rs. 379,242.

In the Estimates for 1903-04 provision is made for further special expenditure for rolling-stock to the extent of Rs. 150,000.

The cost of the additional rolling-stock now asked for in the report of the General Manager amounts to Rs. 604,250; and it is evident that this expenditure following the very large disbursements of the last five years requires careful con- sideration. Large, however, as the proposed expenditure is, the Governor recog- nises the necessity of an adequate equipment to meet the increasing traffic caused by the extension of the railway system of the Colony. The Council, however, will probably ask for a more detailed estimate of the increased revenue anticipated from the increasing traffic than is contained in the General Manager's report, and this no doubt the General Manager will be able to supply. Admitting, however, that an expenditure of Rs. 500.000 in the immediate or near future is found necessary, the Governor suggests that so much of the expenditure as will be required to meet the exigencies of the newly projected lines referred to in this Minute may reason- ably be charged to capital account and included in the loan to be raised. As regards the rest it. will probably be found possible to spread the expenditure over two years to be charged partly to current year and partly to the Treasury balances.

CHAS. BRUCE,

October 20, 1903.

Governor.

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