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himself. I questioned him closely as to the grounds on which these gentlemen (and apparently he himself also) considered that they could thus improve on present methods and yet secure a large profit to themselves. In reply he said that Mr. King (he has not, I believe, discussed the matter with Mr. Logan) looked to save money by obtaining a trade discount on explosives which is not allowed to Government by the local vendors. Yet it is remarkable that in this particular matter Mr. King's estimate exceeds the Chief Resident Engineer's estimate, and that it is on the Tunnel facing and widening that it is less. He also hoped to save something on the Office Staff, but since the same control as at present exists by the Consulting Engineers and by the Colonial Government must continue, this would probably be chimerical. In any case, these small savings would not provide Contractor's profits and a saving to Government. I do not trouble Your Lordship with a detailed criticism of the proposal which, even if the tenderer were a man of acknowledged Railway experience, and with adequate capital, teems with difficulties both as regards the control by the Consulting Engineers and the local Government and the question of cost of existing plants. &c., for in the circumstances it does not appear to me to be worth
:
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6.
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himself. I questioned him closely as to the grounds on
which these gentlemen (and apparently he himself also)
considered that they could thus improve on present methods
and yet secure a large profit to themselves. In reply he
said that Mr. King (he has not I believe discussed the
matter with Mr. Logan) looked to save money by obtaining
a trade discount on explosives which is not allowed to
Government by the local vendors. Yet it is remarkable that
in this particular matter Mr. King's estimate exceeds the
Chief Resident Engineer's estimate, and that it is on the
Tunnel facing and widening that it is less. He also hoped
to save something on the Office Staff, but since the same
control as at present exists by the Consulting Engineers
and by the Colonial Government must continue this would
probably be chimerical. In any case these small savings
would not provide Contractor's profits and a saving to
Government. I do not trouble Your Lordship with a detailed
criticism of the proposal which even if the tenderer wers
a man of acknowledged Railway experience, and with
adequate capital teems with difficulties both as regards
the control by the Consulting Engineers and the local
:
Government and the question of cost of existing plants. &0.,
for in the circumstances it does not appear to me to be
worth
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