CO129-348 - Governor Sir Lugard - 1908 [7-10] — Page 265

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is one of professional capacity, and as such I have not

myself ventured to express any opinions, but as guardian of

and responsible for the interests of the Colony which pays

for the Railway I have appointed fully qualified experts to

deal with this matter.

4.

The report of the Expert Commit-

-tee has been sent to Mr. Eves for any observations he may

wish to make and I enclose his Memorandum and my minute

thereon.

Your Lordship will see from this

report that a very serious situation has arisen. Two of

the Major Bridges are completely condermed and it is

advised that they shall be pulled down and rebuilt. With

the foundations of others the Engineers are dissatisfied

and there are yet others which they regard with suspicion,

and this in a total length of line of some 20 miles only.

5.

The system under which Railways

are constructed in a Crown Colony is fully set out in the

Crown Agents' Memorandum of February 1906. In that Memo -

-randum various alternative methods are discussed,

among others the one known as the "Departmental Syaten". I

would remind Your Lordship that it was decided by your

predecessor in his Despatch Confidential of 9th. February,

1905,