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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O.885

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

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The Board should fix the number, classification, and pay of the staff,

The Board should report annually on the position and prospects of the under- taking, and should keep and present accounts at such times and in such forms ag the Treasury should diireet

We have received from Messrs. Clark, Forde, and Taylor, and we sufanit berewith, copies of the full specifications and draft contract for a cable such as we have indicated above and we suggest that, if the several Governments interested should determine to proceed with the enterprise, tenders might at once be invited on the basis of these documents. If this is done there is reason to believe that the cable might be laid and at work by the beginning of the year 1902,

In presenting this report we desire to record our obligations to our Secretary, Mr. Mercer, for the assistance which he has afforded us throughout our inquiries.

Colonial Office,

21st April, 1900.

(Signed)

FRANCIS MOWATT.

SELBORNE.

G. H. MURRAY.

ABERDEEN.

STRATHCONA AND MOUNT ROYAL.

AND. CLARKE.

JULIAN SALOMONS.

W. P. REEVES.

W. H. MERCER.

Secretary.

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MESSES. CLARK, FORDE AND TAYLOR to MR. MERCER. REPORT ACCOMPANYING SPECIFICATIONS AND DRAFT CONTRACTS FOR THE PACIFIC CABLE.

4, Great Winchester Street,

SIR,

London, E.C., April 6, 1900.

In accordance with the instructions in your letter of 12th March, I have now pre- pared three complete Specifications and draft Contracts for the manufacture, shipment, and laying of the Pacific Cable, viz. :—

No. 1. Contract and Specification for the Cable between Vancouver Island and Fanning Island.

No. 2. Contract and Specification for the Cable between Fanning Island and Fiji, and

No. 3. Contract and Specification for the three Cables between Fiji and Norfolk Island, between Norfolk Island and Queensland, and between Norfolk Island and New Zealand respectively.

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The sub-division of the whole work of manufacturing and laying the Cables into Survey three Contracts appears to necessitate a fourth Contract for the survey and soundings, Contract, as it would be extremely costly to provide, in each Cable Contract, for an independent No. 4. survey and sounding of the particular sections specified therein, and, moreover, such an arrangement would lead to much confusion. Contract No. 4, with the requisite list of positions and charts, has therefore been drafted, and accompanies the other Con- tracts.

Contracts 1, 2, and 3 provide for the manufacture and laying of such types of cable Types of as are considered the most suitable for the depths and positions in which they are to be cable. laid, the cores specified being in all cases those recommended by Messrs. Clark, Forde and Taylor, in their report dated 16th January, and submitted to the Committee.

In each case a guarantee of the Cable by the Contractors for 30 days after the Contractors completion of the laying is stipulated for.

Provision is made for the supply and erection by the Contractors of a suitable cable house at cach landing place, also in certain cases for the transport by the cable vessels of the material for station buildings; but the buildings themselves and certain other items are, for the reasons given later, excluded from the Contracts.

guarantee.

The appended tables, numbered 1, 2, and 3 show in abstract the particulars on Tables. which the Contracts of corresponding number are based.

With regard to the landing places, the information at present available is insuffi- cient to allow of their positions being fixed and specified exactly, but the cost of making and laying the Cables is not affected by this lack of precision, and the Contracts and Specifications afford ample information to enable the Contractors to make all the necessary calculations on which to base their tenders.

The Committee will therefore have before them, when the tenders are opened, the exact cost of the Cable and survey, and, as all the other items of expenditure, with the exception of the maintenance ship, are small, relatively to that cost, it appeared in- advisable to introduce into the main Contracts such details as station buildings and the other items given below, for which it is not possible just now to furnish proper speci- fications, and for which the Contractors, to protect themselves, would have to make very liberal estimates.

The items excluded from the Contracts are, therefore:-

The Station buildings.

Trench or Bay Cables and connections between Cable Houses

and Stations.

Cable tanks.

Instruments for working the line.

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Duplex apparatus.

Maintenance ship.

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Appendix 1.

Until the landing places have been examined and reported upon it is impossible Station build

to draw up specifications of the buildings. In some cases it may be possible to pur- ings and

• Excepting perhaps the New Zealand landing place. Until the survey is made it is difficult to decide on the comparative merits of l'arenga-renga, Ohoura Bay and a point in Doubtless Bay. Should either of the two latter places be decided on, a small increase in the length of cable will probably be necessary and could be arranged for in a supplementary agreement with the Contractors.

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trench cablew