CO129-318 - Governor Sir Blake - 1903 [7-10] — Page 165

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whole scheme must remain in abeyance as it lacks any definite

form in which it can be considered by the Marine Lot holders.

This delay is much to be regretted. The

scheme involves payment in premium to the Colonial Government

of a sum of over 9884,000 and in Crown Rent of an annual sum

of over $64,000. Apart from these financial considerations

there is the even more important necessity of improving the

Sanitary condition of the Eastern portion of the City, the

foreshore of which by rapid silting is very offensive and ill

adapted to receive the sewage which is discharged upon it,

and of providing more house accommodation to receive the popu-

lation which must be displaced from the overcrowded City.

I trust therefore that you will endeavour

to obtain the early acceptance by the Admiralty and War Depart-

ment of the boundary proposed in my Despatch No. 244 of the

8th. of May. last as the result of correspondence extending

over more than 12 months.

5

Owing to the delay in settling the boundary

referred to and consequently in submitting the scheme to the

Lot-holders and then to you, a complication has arisen with

the Electric Tramway Company, which has begun to lay its per-

manent way, in regard to the roadway along the present Eastern

Praya.

Both July 1908.

I enclose copy of a letter on the subject

from the Director of Public Works from which you will learn

that in carrying out the Reclamation the first step would be

to raise the Praya roadway in order to give a proper fall to the

new system of sewers.

The Tramway Company desire to lay their

permanent