CO129-342 - Governor Lugard & Public Offices - 1907 [11-12] — Page 323

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This gives the percentage of working expenses

of gross earnings at 47-45% which is not very much out-

I do not think though the working expenses per mile

is very high.

The corresponding figures for the Imperial Railways of North China are Gross Earnings 59/- Working Expenses 17/- Profit 42/- per day per mile giving a percentage of Working Expenses as 28 of the

Gross Earnings. The line being longer the Working Expenses are much lower per mile.

Comparing with Indian Railways of the working

of which I have had some experience I do not think that the estimate is at all too sanguine.

For this purpose I do not think it unreasonable

to take a Dollar as equal to a Rupee.

The local labour here is very expensive and

the work done by a China man on one dollar a day is

only about equal to the work done by an Indian on one

Rupee per day,

Similar lines running into the large sea ports

are the Eastern Bengal, East Indian and the Bombay

Baroda which earn Rupees 107 96 and 64 per mile per day. The latter Railway has a good deal of line through a

country which does not pay at all. This line is

altogether through a peying country.

For the above Railways the percentage of working

Expenses of the gross earnings are 54.22, 33.47 and

47′13.

I do not think my estimate is at all exaggerated.

The principle of varying the rates per mile according

to outside competition may give rise to a good deal

of

eas