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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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C.O. 882

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

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35. The earthwork is very light and the waterways are few and small... st of them are of 10 feet span with abutments of masonry or brickwork.

36. The rails weigh 46 lbs. per lin. yard, the road is well ballasted with nine gravel and sand, and is in excellent order. Mr. G. W. Fryer has charge of the main tenance and is assisted by an Inspector of Way and Works and two Timekeepers. Three coolies mile are employed on maintenance, and here, as on the Teluk Anson to Sungei

per Siput line, the time of one of them is taken up in keeping the line clear of weeds. In 1897 the cost of maintenance was $15,162'67 or ulxout $866 per mile, 27 per cent. of the total working expenses, and 22 per cent, of the total receipts; it works out to 35 cents per train mile, and to $659 per 1,000 gross ton miles.

37. There are seven stations on the line, of which Taiping is the principal; through it, however, when the new lines are open, the trains cannot be run, and a new station to the west of the present one, which will have suitable engine house, carriage, and goods sheds, repairing shops and stores, is now being built at an estimated cost of $230,000. This seeins a somewhat large sum, when it is considered that the new passenger station is to be an inexpensive building of timber, to Le enlarged and built of a more permanent character hereafter. The other stations, except Port Weld, are small and unimportant, and as when the line is open to Prai, Port Weld, which is now a large station, will lose much of its importance, and only firewood, fish, and a little passenger traffic will remain, part of it might be pulled down and the materials used in building some of the new

stations.

38. The railways in Perak appear to have been well constructed, but the setting out in places is somewhat defective. They are now in very good order, and it would thus We append lists seen that the system under which they are maintained is a good one. of the rolling stock on the two lines in this State.

SECTION C.-LINES UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND SURVEY in Selangor.

39. Kuala Kubu to Tanjong Malim.-Length, 14 miles 35 chains. Construction was begun in September, 1897, and it is hoped that the line will be ready for opening by the middle of 1899. The alignment is generally good, and was mainly fixed by the existence of certain saddles in the hills, through which the line passes. The curves vary between 15:33 and 80 chains in radius. Their aggregate length is 4 miles 45.11 chains. The steepest gradient is 1 in 100, of which there are five lengths, aggregating 3 miles 5:53 chains. There is also a gradient of 1 in 103 for 1 mile 29-09 chains. These gradients were necessary to avoid excessive earthwork. The total length on the level is 1 mile 15-30 chains,

40. The total estimated quantity of earthwork in cuttings, banks, and stream diver. sions is 870,000 cubic yards, equal to 60,254 cubic yards per mile, but it is not equally distributed, the heaviest portion being from 6 to 8 miles. The material to be excavated is generally earth, and some of the larger cuttings are wet, and will require very flat klupes. These, in many of the cuttings, are to be turfed, and it is hoped that this pre- caution against slips may prove effectual. The embankments, of which there is an excess over the cuttings, are nearly always made up from side cutting. In May lust about 60 per cent. of the total estimated earthwork had been done; the largest quantity excavated in one month (March last) was 90,000 cubic yards.

41. The principal bridges are over the Kerling and Gunut Rivers, each of 100 feet span, and the crossings chosen are as good as can be found in the neighbourhood. The other bridges are of and under 30 feet span. There are 56 bridges and culverts, and, in addition. 22 earthenware pipe drains 1 foot 6 inches in diameter. At the end of May last there were nine bridges and culverts in hand, and it is thus evident that the progress with them was not then commensurate with that of the earthwork.

The

The bridge abutments and the culverts are of brickwork set in cement mortar. bricks on the ground in May last were not of very goal quality, but we understand that better ones are being procured. We think instead of mixing cement mortar in the pro- portions of two of sand to one of cement, that, if the sand and cement be good, the proportion of three of sand to one of cement should suffice.

42. We do not consider that pipe drains, even if, as proposed, embedded in concrete. should be used under high embankments, and that though there may be only a small quantity of water to deal with, we think that small culverts, large enough for a man or a boy to pass through, should, when the height of the bank is 10 feet or upwards, be built.

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43. We have examined the type drawings for this line, and, except as regards the general arrangement of sidings, &c., at the stations, which, as shown, is we think less convenient than the arrangement adopted at Sungei Siput, to which we have referred to in paragraph 32 of this report, the designs, subject to the remarks made in the preceding paragraph, appear suitable. The station buildings, while ornamental in appearance, are not of an extravagant or costly type.

44. We have also had an opportunity of examining a copy of the estimate for this line, and while the prices seem generally reasonable, the form in which it was framed seems to us to be capable, in certain respects, of improvement. For example, under the sub-head "Establishment," which in future cases we suggest be altered to Engineering and Administration," we observe that the wages of permament way inspector, timekeepers, engine drivers, firemen, cleaners and guards are included. The cost of the permanent way inspector and nearly all the train men is, we think, properly chargeable to the sub- head "Permanent Way," and the sub-head "Establishment," or "Engineering and Administration," should only include the salaries of the engineers, the staff in their offices, office expenses and other charges which cannot well be sub-divided, and which thus form a charge against the work as a whole. Again, also, the item "11.-Plant" should disappear altogether from the Estimate, the sums set down under this sub-head being properly chargeable against the other sub-heads of the Estimate.

45. During the progress of the work it may be probably found necessary to open two accounts, which should not appear in the original Estimate, termed respectively General Charges" and " Stores." These would be of the nature of "Suspense Accounts," and under them might be entered expenses which during the progress of the work could not be properly classified, but at the completion of the work these items should disap; ear, the with the amount sums then appearing against them, after crediting the item "Stores realized by the disposal of the surplus stores, &c., being proportionately divided among the other sub-heads of the Estimate.

46. Again, also, in the sub-head “IV.-Bridges, Culverts and Pipes," no details are given of the quantities, nor the rates for the various classes of works. Mr. Oliver, however, obtained information upon these points, and from the particulars he has given us we consider that the rates of $12.50 per cubic yard for cement concrete, and of 75 cents per cubic yard for excavation in foundations to a depth of 6 feet, with 25 cents per cubic yard additional for every foot below that depth, appear high. We would also recommend that in future Estimates the cost of sidings and points and crossings be entered under the This would sub-head of Permanent Way," and not under the sub-head of “Stations." simplify the Estimate, and be also, we consider, in accordance with the best existing practice.

47. Under the head of " Permanent Way" some saving may be hoped for in the cost of rails, fishplates, and platelaying, for which the sums set down appear somewhat high, but under the head of ballast we think the quantity provided, namely, 1,540 cubic yarde per mile insufficient, and to allow for waste, subsidence of embankment, and for covering the surface of the sleepers, which should, we consider, be done, we would estimate the

mile. quantity required at about 2,000 cubic yards per

48. The sum of $41,430 is set down in the Estimate for stations, and is intended to include the cost of remodelling Kuala Kubu station, and of two road-side stations at Kerling and Kalumpan, which are at the outset to be only of a temporary character. In this item the cost of approach roads, and of 1,500 lin. yards of siding, and 11 sets of points and crossings, is included. The sidings and points and crossings alone are estimated to cost $17,150 of this amount, which we thus consider to be reasonable.

For

49. We would here remark that railway work in Selangor can hardly be said to be at present done on the departmental or petty contract system. for it appears to be the custom to give out work in large quantities to European or Australian contractors. instance, on this extension the whole of the masonry and foundations in bridges and culverts is being done by one contractor, and other contractors have each several miles of earthwork. This system may not improbably result in delay to the work, and seems to us to combine the disadvantages of both the contract and departmental systems without the advantages of either, for under it the Government is deprived of the security for the proper and expeditious construction of the work which is attained, at any rate to a certain extent, by the employment for the whole work of one contractor of repute and sufficient financial means, working under adequate sureties; while the economy to be looked for by executing each particular bridge, culvert, cutting or embankment at the

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