CO129-296 - Public Offices & Others - 1899 — Page 99

98

of A.385.

the cost would be divided between Imperial and Colonial funds in the proportion of 2/3 to the former and 1/3 to the latter. The gross coat of the scheme was estimated at £211,000 or B,339,536 dollars in December 1894, and it was proposed to spread the scheme over 10 years; but as it was subsequently considered advisable to press on with the works as soon as possible and the Colony refused to

pay more than a contribution of one thirtieth of the gross cost in any one year, it was decided that the War Depart-

ment should execute the whole of the works itself as

quickly as possible, and the Colony make an annual con-

tribution for 10 years of 48,000 dollars, which was about

tributio

1/30% of the total cost. The payments by the Colony

began with the year 1896, and should therefore continue

until 1905.

It must be observed that up to the present the

War Department has not been in a position to surrender

any lands to the Colony, so that the portion of the agrée- ment relating to the reduction of the gross cost of the

scheme by the value of the surrendered properties is not

operative, and practically it is the gross cost that i being divided in the proportion of 1/3 and 2/3. The

execution of this scheme is now in progress, but is not

yet completed, Some land has been already acquired by

the War Department for services included in it. In these

cases the War Department has paid for the interests of

private individuals, where necessary, and included the

Amount #