CO129-348 - Governor Sir Lugard - 1908 [7-10] — Page 266

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Gov

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of

1905, that the Railway should be constructed on this

the

system, and that views of this Government were not asked

A

for on this question. On February 23rd., 1907, my pre-

-decessor addressed to Lord Elgin a Despatch in which he

urged in very strong terms that the supervision of the

construction should be placed under the Director of Public

Works.

The Memorandum in paragraph 11,

paragraph 15, and paragraph 19 (e) clearly lays down that

the Consulting Engineers appointed under this system are

responsible for the success of the work, and that the

entire responsibility rests with them "for the conception

and execution of the design". The Resident Engineer is

selected by them on their sole responsibility, and refers

all technical matters to them. Interference by the local

Government is strongly deprecated, and "should be limited

to cases of urgent necessity". It is stated that the

Consulting Engineers accept the entire responsibility

which would fall upon a Contractor if the Government let

the work to contract, and it is in return for the assump-

iin ho

fees of the Consulting Engineers in lieu of the profits of

the Contractor (paragraph 6). In these circumstances I

but the conti

assume

-tion of this responsibility that the Government pays the