CO882-6 — Page 83

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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ELEC.O. 882

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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rates which it may be really worth, having regard to the special conditions, proximity of materials, case or otherwise of its execution, is equally lost, and its adoption in other works is therefore, we consider, on every ground undesirable.

50. The following is the staff employed on this section: Mr. Aerea (acting for Mr. Paxon on leave) has charge of the first section, the stores and accounts; and Mr. McCormack of the second section. There are two European foremen, one of whom can set out work, two timekeepers, a storekeeper, a draughtsman, and a clerk. Having regard to the fact that there is a good cart road running near the line along its whole length, and to the convenience thus afforded in supervising it, this staff appears to us to be an ample one: but, at the same time, from the reports which have reached us, we doubt whether the engineering assistants employed have quite sufficient experience to have charge of the work. We feel that in the present somewhat advanced state of the work it may be now too late to make any advantageous change, but we consider that an experience engineer with a junior assistant, without any foremen, except those required for laying the permanent way and erecting the bridges, might have sufficed.

51. The estimated total cost of this line, including rolling stock, &c., is $1,006,299, equal, for 14 miles 35 chains, to $69,700 per mile.

52. Klang to Kuala Klang.—This line, 5 miles 39-33 chains in length, is level throughout, and is for the greater part straight, the only curves being two of 20 chains and one of 40 chains in radius, the aggregate length of which is I mile 7.21 chains. The earthwork is light, and is a low embankment for the whole distance. There is one bridge, of 100 feet span, over a tidal river, now nearly finished, the girders of which rest on cylinders sunk nearly 100 feet. The other waterways are wrought iron tubes, 6 feet in diameter, laid through the embankment.

53. The permanent way is well laid, but a number of the sleepers are inferior, and will soon require renewal. The line will, when finished, and it is now nearly complete, cost, without rolling stock, $211,120, or $38,448 per milc.

54. Wharves, gr, at Kuala Klang.-In connection with this branch, extensive wharves and jetties for passenger, goods, and wood traffic, goods sheds, passenger station with open and covered platforms, custom house, and sidings, turntables for engines and wagons, the whole to be lit with the electric light, are being erected at Kuala Klang. Up to the 31st May last, $360,692-51 had been expended upon these works, and it is now estimated that to complete all the works contemplated a further expenditure of $534,043-69 will be required, thus raising the total cost to $894,736 20, of which, it is hoped, $50,000 may be recovered by the disposal of the plant at the completion of the work.

55. The original design for the works at Kuala Klang was estimated in 1893 to cost $422,188. The wharves and jetty, as designed by Mr. Watkins, in 1895, were estimated to cost $660,269, equal at $8 per £ sterling, the rate he adopted in framing his estimate, to £82,534 ; after conferring with that gentleman, who came over to this country for the purpose, we prepared a revised design for the wharves and jetty, the estimated cost of which, as given in our letter to your address of the 10th March, 1896, was £55,000, thus shewing a saving of £27,554 upon the design as prepared by Mr. Watkins.

come.

56. Mr. Oliver has indicated in his letter, dated the 21st August last, to the Secretary of the Resident-General, that even now the cost of the works still to be executed at Kuala Klang might be reduced by shortening the length of the sidings proposed, which appear to be in excess of the probable requirements for some time to A reduction in size of the station buildings and platforms could also be made, and a less expensive design adopted. The goods shed, as now proposed, is more than 600 feet long, and two lengths of it, each of 100 feet between the wharves, could for the present be omitted, and, finally, the electric lighting might be postponed until some future time, when it may be found necessary. Mr. Oliver estimates that these alterations, if carried out, would effect a saving of about $50,000.

57. The quality of the cylinders and bolts which are being manufactured by Singapore houses is inferior to that of similar work from England, while the prices, viz., $448 per cwt. for the cylinders, and $9'50 per cwt. for the bolts, delivered at Kuala Kling, do not seem to show that any sensible economy has been secured in obtaining these articles locally; we are thus of opinion, notwithstanding the remarks made in the eighth paragraph of our report to your address of the 10th March, 1896, that in similar cases in future it would be well to obtain such articles from this country, through you, in the usual manner, a course which has hitherto ensured good work at reasonable rates.

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The difficulty to which we referred in that report of regulating the supply in accordance with the requirements could, doubtless, be got over by not ordering at the outset the full length of cylinders thought to be required, but only sufficient to enable the work to be begun, the remainder being ordered and sent out subsequently, upon indents to be from time to time submitted by the engineer, in accordance with the experience he would gain during the progress of the work as to his actual requirements.

58. We have had the opportunity of examining the contract entered into with the local firm of Messrs. Walsh Bros. for sinking and concreting the cylinders, and for doing all other work in connection with the erection of the wharves, and, while we fully recognise the difficulties and risks involved in carrying out work of such a nature as this, we can- not help thinking that many of the prices are high, especially as apparently all plant and appliances, tools, forges, cement, and other materials for concrete are supplied free of charge to the contractors, and we are thus of opinion that economy would have been secured had the work been done departmentally under the supervision of a good foreman experienced in this class of work.

SECTION D.-LINES UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN PErak.

59. Tapah Road to Tanjong Malim.-Although the survey for this line, which it is thought will be about 45 miles in length, was not finished at the end of May last, as there were then about 15 miles to be staked out, work had been begun at both ends in advance of any complete estimate having been framed of the cost of the work.

60. Mr. Oliver went over the trace and found that in parts there were many improvements possible, especially at the river crossings, which have been accordingly altered.

61. The country traversed is fairly easy, and the earthwork will not be heavy; there will be about six bridges, each requiring from 100 to 200 feet of waterway; the work in culverts will be moderate.

62. We understand that the survey for this line, which was until recently in the charge of the Resident Engineer, Selangor Government Railways, is being made by contract, the price being based at per mile of line surveyed. We consider that this system is both unsatisfactory and in the long run expensive, and that it would be preferable in future cases for the surveys to be made by the engineers who will have thereafter to construct the line, At present there are only two engineers on this extension, one being stationed at Tapah Road and the other at Tanjong Malim. The question as to the additional staff to be employed on the work is under consideration, and will be determined upon completion of the survey.

63. A cart road is being made between Tapah Road and a road running into Tanjong Malim, and this will facilitate the construction of the part of the line near which it runs. At present the earthwork is being done by contract at rates between 25 and 30 cents per cubic yard, which, though perhaps somewhat high, are not excessively so, bearing in mind that part of the line is through uninhabited country, and that there may, therefore, he at the first difficulty in keeping labour on the work.

64 Sungei Siput to Taiping.-This line will be about 32 miles in length. The first section from Sungei Siput to Engor on the Perak River, about 8 miles in length, was opened for traffic on the 1st July last, though it can hardly be said to have been then finished. At that date some 10 miles of the line beyond Engor had not been surveyed. Upon the section between Sungei Siput and Engor the line first rises for about 1 mile, and then descends with gradients of 1 in 150 and 1 in 300 for about 34 miles and 14 mile respectively, and then, after about 1 mile of level, it reaches Engor. The curves are easy, being either of 28.95 chains or 43:40 chains in radius. The place chosen for crossing the Perak River is a good one, as the course of the river is straight and the banks are high.

65. From the Perak River to Padang Rengas, a distance of 12 miles only, only 1 mile was set out in August last; the country is flat and presents no difficulty.

66. For some miles beyond Padang Rengas towards Taiping the country is very rough, and presents serious difficulties; the line is taken through what is locally known as the Gumong Pondoh Pass. The resident engineer, Perak Railways, at first proposed for this section a line with a maximum gradient of 1 in 80, but, as it was then thought to be undesirable to adopt any gradient steeper than the ruling gradient of 1 in 100 used elsewhere in the Federated States, he received instructions to adopt this as the maximum.