303
118
arrangement is not regarded on either side as satisfactory. With the incorporation of this office in the Public Works Department we would suggest that the Financial Assistant should take charge of the whole clerical staff of the department and should have the title of Chief Clerk and Accountant with a salary of Rs.9,000. By this arrangement, which would eliminate much unnecessary overlapping of work, we think that it would be possible to effect an immediate saving of at least two clerks. A further saving of at least six clerks would follow from the adoption of our proposals for the abolition of water-rates, and for more drastic action in the case of arrears of water-rent.
16. We estimate as follows the economies to be effected by a reorganization of the Public Works Department on the lines which we have proposed :
Posts to be abolished.
Assistant Director
Irrigation Engineer
Divisional Engineer
10,000
Scale of Salary.
Rs.
Immediate
Saving Rs. 10,000
9,000-500-10,000
10,000
8,000-500-9,000
9,000
Chief Inspector of Works,
Building Branch
Inspector of Works
5,000-500--6,200. 3,600-240-4,800
6,200
-4,800
Three Assistant Inspectors of
Works
1,800-150-2,400
Chief Inspector of Roads
4,800-300-6,000
7,200 6,000
Two Inspectors of Roads
3,600-2404,800
9,200
Junior Inspector of Roads
2,400-240-3,600
3,600
Six Assistant do.
1,800-240-2,760
16,120
Assistant Foreman of Works 1,800-150-2,400
2,400
Government Surveyor
9,000-500-10,000
10,000
Two Assistant do.
9,000
Tracer
1,200
3,000 1,200
Assistant Tracer
Chain Bearer
900 488
Eight Clerks (say 3 at Rs.975
(approx.) 11,325
121,633
Store Clerk (Mare-anx-Vacoas
Waterworks)
Learner
and 5 at Rs.1,680)
New Posts.
Two on scale Rs.6,500-500-8,000 Four on scale Rs.2,400-240-4,800
Cost taking maximum of scale 35,200
Net Saving Rs.86,433
[19
CHAPTER IX.-IRRIGATION.
Our terms of reference directed us, in particular, to advise on the desirability, from the financial and economic points of view, of completing the irrigation schemes which have been started in the Colony, Very shortly after our arrival in Mauritius we were required to give the Colonial Government our opinion as to whether the outstanding bills for the irrigation works should be covered by borrowing from that part of the new Hurricane Loan (£175,000) which was available for development. We decided immediately to examine the canal works, and were able on 3rd September, 1931, to express our opinion to the Governor in a letter, enclosing a more Our advice was, detailed appendix, which we reproduce below. firstly, that the La Nicoliere construction work should be stopped at once, and secondly that the expenditure on these works which has been incurred or must still be incurred and which has not yet been covered by loans should be charged against the available resources of the Colony. For the reasons which we state below we consider that in present circumstances these works have no real economic value. If the works are suspended Rs.359,000 can be sayed; the outstanding bills can be met from the accumulated funds of the Colony, and further borrowing should be avoided.
We repeat these recommendations and express our strong opinion that the portion of the new Hurricane Loan amounting to £175,000 is not required for the irrigation works or for other development and should not, therefore, be raised,
Letter to the Governor of Mauritius, dated 3rd September, 1931.
SIR,
The Financial Commissioners have the honour to submit their recommendation as to the allocation of funds with which to meet the advances made for the irrigation works of La Nicoliere. It has been suggested that the Colony should borrow the amount of the advance from the guaranteed Hurricane Loan, within the figure of £175,000.
2. We have assumed from the terms of the reference which has been made to us that the suggestion that these advances should be charged against the Hurricane Loan depends to no small extent on the supposition that the incomplete portion of the work would also be charged to the same loan, and that in effect, this portion of the Hurricane Loan will be the last instalment of the numerous loans which have been taken for these irrigation works. In these circum- stances we have found that it is necessary, before giving our views on the question of allocation, to decide whether we can recommend that La Nicoliere should be completed.
!
EUBLIC
PECORD OFFICE
༅། །།༞ཀ ། །
Reference :-
C.O.882/12
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE | BF REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON]
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