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12947

No. 81.

CROWN AGENTS to COLONIAL OFFICE.

(Received April 20, 1905.)

[Copy to Governor, April 28, 1905, Confidential. L.F.]

[See No. 286.]

Kowloon-Canton Railway.

SIR,

Whitehall Gardens, London, S.W., April 19, 1905. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 31st March, No. 9822/1905,* transmitting to us copies of telegraphic correspondence with the Governor of Hong Kong on the subject of the proposed Kowloon-Canton Railway.

2. We have been in communication with Sir John Wolfe Barry and Partners, and we have now given them definite instructions to proceed with the survey. enclose, for the information of Mr. Secretary Lyttelton, a copy of the correspondence which has passed, and beg to suggest that it should be communicated to the Governor.

103

that the work in the Colony will not occupy more than three months from the time of the arrival of the surveying staff, and that the preparation of the alternative estimates can be undertaken during the return voyage to England.

We have also assumed that tents and camp equipage can be obtained on loan from the Government of the Colony, and accordingly we have not included anything therefor in our estimate.

We are, &c.,

For SIR JOHN WOLFE BARRY AND PARTNERS, J. WOLFE BARRY.

Canton-Kowloon Railway.

21, Delahay Street, Westminster, S.W., April 10, 1905.

Detailed statement of estimate of cost of reconnaissance survey referred to in

the letter of Sir John Wolfe Barry and Partners of to-day to the Crown Agents for the Colonies. Engaged in England

1 Chief Engineer at £100 per month for six months 1 Assistant Engineer at £50 per month for six months Outfit of staff, instruments, &c.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

THLETIC.O. 882

6 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

Enclosure 1 in No. 81.

I have, &c.,

E. E. BLAKE.

CROWN AGENTS to Sir JOHN WOLFE BARRY AND PARTNERS.

(E. 261/1.)

GENTLEMEN,

Hong Kong.-Kowloon-Canton Railway.

Whitehall Gardens, London, April 6, 1905. I BEG to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 15th March on the subject of the proposed survey for a railway between Kowloon and Canton,

2. Your proposals have been communicated to the Government of Hong Kong by telegraph, and we now learn that what is required is a rapid reconnaissance survey of the two routes sufficient to obtain comparative estimates of the cost of the two lines. Such a reconnaissance would enable the Government to make a final selection of the route to be adopted, and a detailed location survey would then follow of that route.

3. We understand your estimate of £5,500 to have been based on a mileage rate of £100 a mile for making a detailed survey of both routes, but in view of the modified requirements of the Colonial Government I have to request that you will revise your estimate.

4. We should be glad of an early reply, as it is desired to proceed in the matter at an early date.

GENTLEMEN,

Enclosure 2 in No. 81.

I am, &c.,

E. E. BLAKE.

Sir JOHN WOLFE BARRY AND PARTNERS to CROWN AGENTS. Canton-Kowloon Railway.

21, Delahay Street, Westminster, S.W., April 10, 1905. In reply to your letter of the 6th April on the subject of the proposed survey for the British section of the railway between Canton and Kowloon, in which you state that a rapid reconnaissance survey of the alternative routes with comparative estimates based upon them is all that is required in the first instance, and that the detailed location survey would then follow of the route selected, we have given the matter careful attention, and think the cost of such surveys and estimates as are now required would be about £1,782, the amount being based on the assumption

• No. 76.

£600 300

150

Sea passages, joining expenses, and return passages and fares Consolidated travelling allowance for engineers while in the

200

field

150

Engaged in Colony

2 Surveyors at £15 each per month for three months 10 Chainmen at £2 per month each for three months 15 Carriers and Axemen at £1 10s. each per month for three

months, say

90

60

70

£1,620

Contingencies, say

162

£1,782

Cost of line per mile to be investigated, about £32.

GENTLEMEN,

For SIR JOHN WOLFE BARRY AND Partners, J. WOLFE BARRY.

Enclosure 3 in No. 81.

CROWN AGENTS to Sir John Wolfe Barry and PARTNERS.

I HAVE to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 10th April, respecting

April 12, 1905. the proposed survey for a railway between Kowloon and Canton.

*2. Your estimate of the cost-£1,782 of the proposed surveys appears, how- ever, to have been arrived at on the assumption that only the two alternative recon- naissance surveys are required in the first instance, and that they would be followed by a detailed survey later on, and that the preparation of the estimates based on the alternative surveys would be undertaken during the return voyage to England.

3. We understand, however, that it is desired that the rough plans and esti- mates which could be made from the reconnaissances should be prepared in Hong Kong, and that they should be submitted to the Governor, in order that he may decide upon the route to be adopted, the detailed location survey of the selected route being then proceeded with, and the detailed plans and estimates of the final route being subsequently worked out and submitted for your examination and report.

4. Such arrangements would doubtless involve a larger expenditure than con- templated in your letter, and we should therefore be glad to receive a revised estimate from you on these lines. We shall also be glad to have an expression of your opinion as to whether your surveyors would be able to place the information they may obtain in such a shape before the Governor as would enable him to arrive at a correct decision as to the route to be adopted, without referring the papers home to you.

am, &c.,

E. E. BLAKE.