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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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18 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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topographical work to the new appointments recommended by Mr. Bell in his letter of the 17th of September, that is to say, two would become Land and Road Surveyors in the Public Works Department and one the special surveyor for land work pro- posed in the sixth paragraph of Mr. Bell's letter. Their salaries, which would amount to about £1,000 a year, would be covered for many years by the savings anti- cipated on the topographical survey, and before the end of that time it will no doubt have become necessary to reconsider the question of the organisation of the Survey Department. With regard to the fourth surveyor, a member of the staff has recently been invalided home, and his appointment could at once be absorbed.

6. These proposals, therefore, would secure the early completion of the topo- graphical work and freedom from interruption in the progress of the cadastral work without any extra total expenditure, and Lord Elgin trusts that their Lord- ships will be able to give their sanction to them in time for the necessary provision to be made in the draft Estimates for 1908-9.

7. The Estimates will probably show some slight increase in the personal emoluments of the survey staff owing to the necessity which has arisen of offering higher rates of salary to certain of the more experienced- surveyors in order to induce them to return for a further period of service. For this reason it has been necessary for Lord Elgin, on Mr. Bell's recommendation, to approve of the offer to two other surveyors of the scale of £360 to £400 a year by annual increments of £20, which their Lordships approved, in your letter of the 29th of July, in the cases of Mr. E. Richardson and Mr. Fenning. It will also probably be necessary for his Lordship to raise in connexion with the Estimates for next year the question of placing a certain number of the members of the staff on the permanent and pensionable establishment.

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No. 93.

UGANDA.

I am, &c.,

R. L. ANTROBUS.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE ACTING COMMISSIONER.

(No. 269.) SIR,

Downing Street, October 21, 1907.

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch, No. 94, of the 25th of June last, on the subject of Major Hills's report on the Survey Department of Uganda. I enclose, for record, a copy of correspondence§ with Mr. Hesketh Bell on this subject which passed while he was in this country.

2. I also enclose a copy of a letter which I have now caused to be addressed to the Treasury dealing with the questions of the future conduct of the topographical survey, and of the relief of the Survey Department from extraneous duties. With regard to the proposal now put forward for the topographical survey, I have not lost sight of the fact that objection was raised last year to the employment in Uganda of non-commissioned officers of the Royal Engineers, but the employment of non-commissioned officers working directly under their own officers in a single party, as is proposed in this case, will not give rise to the difficulties which were anticipated when it was proposed to employ them in isolated positions among the natives.

3. With regard to the trigonometrical and cadastral work, the recommenda- tions of the Inspecting Officer should be carried out. In particular, you should give instructions for arrangements to be made for giving effect to his views as to working in parties, and adopting a recess season during which the members of the Department will devote their time to plotting and checking the work done in the field, calculations, &c. The adoption of the recess season will render it imperative to provide quarters at Entebbe for the Survey Department, and if the necessary buildings have not become available through the transfer of military and adminis- trative officers to other stations, arrangements should be made to provide the accommodation by constructing new buildings.

• No. 83.

† 27119: not printed.

§ Nos. 72 an 1 83, and 28404 (not printed).

‡ No. 65.

| No. 92.

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4. I concur in the view expressed by Major Hills as to the importance of issu- ing at once certificates of title in the case of estates which have been surveyed, and I agree that as soon as the question of tenure has been decided definitive titles to land should be given in advance of the survey. Any progress which can be made in the granting of titles will have a beneficial effect on future work, as it will stimu- late the interest and confidence of the natives in the survey, and will increase their readiness to supply labour for cutting boundaries and similar purposes.

34647

No. 94.

GOLD COAST.

I have, &c.,

ELGIN.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE ACTING GOVERNOR.

(No. 418.)

SIR,

Downing Street, 23 October, 1907. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of Sir J. Rodger's despatch, No. 136, of the 12th of April,* and to inform you that the question of the proposed West African Survey School has been discussed with the Governor of Southern Nigeria during his presence in this country on leave.

2. I have formed the opinion that a less elaborate scheme than that proposed by the Directors of Surveys of the Gold Coast and Southern Nigeria would be sufficient to meet all probable requirements, and that, as the work of the Gold Coast Survey Department will in the future be greatly diminished, the proposed school may be confined to Southern Nigeria only, and be conducted under the control of the Director of Surveys at Lagos.

3. This modification of the original proposal will not, of course, prevent the surveyors trained at the school from being engaged by other West African Govern- ments on suitable conditions as to the repayment to the Government of Southern Nigeria of the expenses incurred in their instruction.

4. I have requested the Governor of Southern Nigeria to make the necessary arrangements for the formation of the school on the modified basis, and to communí- cate with you as to the possibility of obtaining the services of Mr. J. B. Esuman Gwira, if he can be spared from the Gold Coast Survey Department, as the Native Instructor in the school. His salary would be at the rate of £200 a year.

I have, &c.,

34647

(No. 846.)

SIR,

No. 95.

SOUTHERN NIGERIA.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE GOVERNOR.

[Answered by No. 112.]

ELGIN.

Downing Street, 23 October, 190).

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch, No. 165, of the 11th of April,† and to transmit to you, for convenience of reference, the accompanying copy of correspondencet which passed with you in this country on the subject of the proposed survey school for training native surveyors.

2. You will observe that I have decided that the scope of the experiment should be confined to Southern Nigeria, and that the school should be established at Lagos under the control of the Director of Surveys, and be conducted in accordance with the syllabus a copy of which accompanied the letter to you of the 26th of September.§ 3. You will, no doubt, consider what arrangements are required for estab-

§ No. 85.

• No. 41.

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† No. 40.

Nos. 85 and 86.

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