14. --The grand total of aggregate-savings in the Tytam line and the Pok-foo-lum subsidiary one amount to £69,040.
15.-Therefore the matter now stands thus for the revised estimate of £233,107 a daily provision of 15 gallons per head may be had all the year round, instead of the allowance of 18) gallons in Winter and 30 gallons in Summer, which the original project provided at a cost of £302,147,
16.More than ever impressed with the incalculable sanitary value of an abundaut supply of water in a Chinese tropical City, I shrink from the responsibility of recom mending to the Government any further curtailment of the allowance in providing for future works.
17.-Once more I have the honour to point out the absolute necessity of a careful detail survey in order to arrive at the fixed cost of the propsed works. A preliminary survey such as the one made, merely serves to give a general idea or outline of the pro ject as a whole, but it is valueless to a Committee of Ways and Means desirous to come at a certain fized sum of money.
18.--Such a detail survey might or might not disclose a material reduction in the cost of carrying out the project by revealing a geological formation more favourable to work against, than that supposed to exist In dealing with such a large sum as the one involved in the present question, I need scarcely point out that the least variation from the hypothesis which the engineer has had to assume in a preliminary reconnais- sance, at once curtails a modification of cor- relative magnitude in the Estimates.
19. Thus presuming that a detail survey for a reduced water supply such as the one adverted to in paragraph 15, entailing a total outlay estimated at £233,107, were to be set on band, and that such a survey were to divulge an absence of rook along the whole line, it would at once be possible to effect an economy of say 20 per cent,, or in other words of nearly £50,000. li on the other hand rock were discovered to prevail throughout, it might be necessary to supplement the estimate by this amount. 20.-Therefore, it is quite clear that whether to involve itself in the outlay of carrying out a water supply, or whether by reason of its great cost to reject it, the Government must found its decision upon the result of a detail survey.
21.- may here add that so far as I have been able to judge from superficial indica- tions the substratum is favourable to a reduction of the estimate, but until I have effected a proper detail investigation, I carefully abstain from committing myself to any assertion in this matter.
22.-The cost of detail surveys will be about $2,500. It is this sum which I have now the honor to request may be voted in order to arrive at a satisfactory solution.
23. A further diminution of the now revised allowance of 15 gallons, would not be attended by the same wholesale reduc- tions in the estimates which the firat cur- tailments effected, because the pruning knife having, in accordance with the wishes of His Excellency, beon mercilessly wielded, scarcely an item has been left upon which to retrench. This might perhaps be done by narrowing still further the water way of the channels, but the expedient is highly objectionable, and would bring about a repetition of the error committed at Pok- foo-lum in having mains too small to con- vey the supply which it was meant to serve. 24-in reference to the original project with its winter allowance of of 18 gallons as submitted to His Excellency the Go- vernor in my report of November last, 1 may add that it was based upon what was, after mature deliberation, deemed to be the requirements of a people by no means smaller consumers of water than our own metropolitan lower orders, whose quota Averages 33 gallons for every man, woman and child, inhabiting Loudon and its suburbs. It is true that in England the bulk of this allowance is used for special aud sanitary purposes, but it is none the lesa true that the sewerage of Viotoris stands in similar need.
However, be this as it may, all arguments, however powerful and convincing, must succumb to expediency, and if the Colony is unable to afford a liberal supply of water, it must put up with a reduced provision. Under any circumstances it is possible that
the manner in which the whole subject has now been brought before the notice of His Excellency the Governor in Council may not have been unproductive of good.
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your obedient servant
J. M. PRICE, Surveyor General,
Hon. J. GARDINER AUSTIN,
Colonial Secretary.
H. E, continued:-The report he bad just read was only received yesterday. Had it come to hand before ho would have had it He printed for the benefit of members. would now recommend that the first step taken be the making of a detailed survey of the route. It would cost about $2,500 but the money would be well spent. He would therefore formally move that the Council go into Committee.
The Council then went into Committee on the Governor's motion, the Colonial Secretary seconding the proposition.
Mr J. Whittall concurred in all that had been said, but he thought they should arrive at some estimate of what the Colony could afford to spend, and the Surveyor should be told that amount, as otherwise it might occur that even the reduced estimate was far too much for the Colony to spend. fle thought the sum named in the revis ed estimate was yet larger than the Colony could afford; but from what the Surveyor General stated, the sum might be further reduced. He thought it would be well to tell the Surveyor General that it was im- possible to carry out the present scheme, and ask him to prepare another.
He was quite aware of the importance of a good supply of water, But it must not be over. looked that the Colony was not so very badly off now, and it more care were taken to prevent waste they might manage to do with the present supply. But he need not go into that now, He thought sufficient water could be obtained to answer all the requirements of the Colony for much less than the proposed sum. The original
scheme could not be considered for a mo. ment. It would cost a very large amount of money and a sinking fund to carry out the project, and even if the estimate was re luced to £100,000, it would raise the existing taxes to 25 per cent, a rate which the Colony could not afford, the existing percentage of taxes being as much as the Colony could bear. As that could not be raised out of the taxes, the stamp tax and the ground rent, we should have to double our police and water rates. Even with the present reduction of one-third, it would be à tax of 25 per cent on the present police and other rates-already quite enough.
Mr Austin said that taking the cost at £233.000, its re-payment would be spread over 20 years, and to meet this the increased water rate need not exceed 8 per ceu viz.: $66,000 for interest and $86,000 for the Siuking Fund. He estimated that for an outlay of £233,000, the total in- creased Police and other rates would be 20 per cent, as against 35 per cent. suggested by his Honorable friend; but if the expen- diture could be reduced one sixth, the rates would also be lowered.
H. E. said that could be only arrived at by a detailed survey,
Mr Austin said they were not in a position at present to say what the cost would be i he thought it would be best to first ascertain the actual cost of an efficient
Be water supply.
was of the game opinion as H. E. the Governor, viz. that a satvey should be made at the cost of $2,500.
Mr Rowett said it would perhaps have been desirable that the Surveyor General should have been acquainted long ago with what the Colony could afford. Even if the estimate was reduced to £200 000, he was afraid the position of the Colony was such that it could not afford it. Of course the Governor might be able to tell the Council the ways and means of providing that sum; but until they had the scheme before them, it would be premature to say what we could i or could not afford. He would slag ask! whether it was in contemplation to see if any subterranean reservoir or well existed which could be utilized, as it might save a great expense of money.
H. E. thought that no surface bad been left unexamined by the Surveyor General, and he knew the geological formation of
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