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May 15, 1909.]
this large increase, I refer you to the report, in which you will see what the chief resident engi neer has to say on the subject. The excess over the estimate in December 1907 is in part due to the fact that we are completely lining the tunnel throughout. It had been hoped that in certain sections where the rock is exceedingly hard lining might have been dispensed with, but on Mr. A. J. Barry's late visit it was decided to line it throughout, but with a reduced num- ber of rings of brickwork in those sections that were hard, Because the stratum was full of faults it was feared that the vibration of the train would bring the rock down on top of pas. sing trains. Of the other tunnels the only one which has given any difficulty, and on which any extra cost has been incurred is the Taipo tunnel, where heavy landslips were experienced owing to the slushy clay which formed the hillside. This necessitated very elaborate timbering at great cost. Its length is 924 feet, of which 573 feet had been driven. and 158 feet lined Ou 31st December last. The other excesses to which I specially alluded. $90,000 salaries, $43,000, for accounts, include the cost of the salary for a portion of the year of an expert whom we hope to obtain from India to organise the work of opening the line and advise us on several subjects, including negotiations of the joint working agreement with the Canton section. The loss on exchange is largely responsible for the excess in these two items. Prior to 1908 no staff had been provided for accounting. Such accounting work as had required to be done had been done by the chief resident engineer and his staff. The third excess of which I spoke, $47,261 for bridges, arises in part from the increased size of Gasoigne Road bridge, which is due to the fact that it crosses the junction of two roads instead of crossing one of them at right angles. This matter was settled by my predecessor shortly before he left. The increased cost is not shown in the 1907 estimates, because it was not at that time known what the cost of the iron work in England would be. The cost of the construction of this bridge has been let to contract to Messrs. Leigh and Orange as part of the agreement to which I will shortly allude. Under this head of bridges also, a final
decision has been taken regarding the bridge over the Taipo river, which has been a subject of much discussion, and it was finally settled by Mr. Barry. The situation in which it has been placed involves well foundations in the Taipo river, at considerably more cost than had been anticipated by its former location. Samchun bridge is also costing something more than anticipated originally, It has been raised higher, owing to information which we received from the engineer of the Chinese section as regards, flood levels in the Samchun ralley, and it has also been made with double girders for a double line. Council will desire to know whether I have any information to add to my reply of September last to a question asked me by the member who then represented the Chamber of Commerce in this Council as regards certain defective bridges. I said in reply that I had directed that an examination of the bridges in question should be held by the Director of Public Works and Mr. Williams, the engineer of the Naval Docks. Their report, together with the comments of the chief resident en- gineer was forwarded to the consulting engineers and so far I have had no reply from them. The result was that Mr. A. J. Barry who already contemplated a visit to the Far East, was directed to inspect the Kowloon-Canton Railway on behalf of Messrs. Wolfe, Barry and Co., and to report to them. His report has no doubt by this time reached them, and await their authoritative letter before I can make any official statement to Council. But I am aware of the conclusions at which he arrived. Briefly, I can say he agreed with the eminent engineers who reported to me on that question; that he adversely criticised the principles on which one or more of the bridges had been constructed, The matter is a highly technical one, and according to the memorandum issued by the Colonial Office, technical responsibility for work undertaken by the consulting engineers rests upon them. Direct intervention by the Colonial Government is only justified in case of urgent necessity. If the Government believes the
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. quality of the work to be unsatisfactory it, consented that the penalties for exceeding the will be beneficial for it to intervene. In my contract time shall be trebled. We have also judgment such an occasion had arisen. Under given them two new contracts at rates which the system upon which this railway is being will be remunerative to them, viz. the Gascoigne constructed the consulting engineers are re- sponsible for the conception. and execution of of Yaumati Station.
Road bridge and the other in the neighbourhood the design in accordance with the intentious open the line before the big reclamations are It will be possible to of the Government, and further respousible completed. The tunnel progress has been good. that the estimates are adhered to. The chief On 31st December 1907 3,100 feet had been driven resident engineer is the nominee of the and 465 feet had been lined, and on 31st December consulting engineers. He is responsible to last 5,6 feet had been driven and 2,730 lined. them for the technical conduct of work. I do not disguise from you that I
the The progress in 1907 was 40.27 feet per week. have a misgiving that there will be some
Last year it was 68.15, un increase of some 60 per cent. in spite of the fact that during the addition to the estimates before us in con great part of 1907 we were working on four sequence of these defective bridges, but I trust faces whereas in 198 we were only working on and hope, with good cause, that the addition two. will not be a large one.
I have already told you how greatly the You will see for your- cost per foot has been decreased and how the selves what the chief resident engineer says on progress has been much more rapid. We hope the subject in his report on page 4. I have the headings will meet within the next two dealt in considerable detail now with the items or three days. For this work very great that involve excesses in the estimates. There credit is due to Mr. Waite, the tunnel superinte- remains those items under which large savings dent. We hope the tunnel will be lined and are shown. Ballast and permanent way show an finished by the end of the year and that estimated saving of $51,700 rolling stock, the permanent way will be laid and the line $82,400. As regards the former you will find opened over the "overland route" by May on page 5 a full explanation of the over-estimate 1910. We found it advisable to have by the chief resident engineer, to which small flag station at Taipo market in order to I have nothing to add. As regards the over- attract some additional traffic, and a small estimate of the rolling stock, is partly due to station will also be built at Lo-fu ferry near the a decrease in home prices, and partly to the frontier. None of these items were included in fact that less rolling stock than anticipated the original estimates. I may also say that the has been ordered. Ou Mr. Barry's advice jetty at Taipo will be lengthened so as to carry the original order was somewhat reduced. The it into deep water, and by this we hope to rolling stock is calculated to last till the end of acquire considerably more traffic from across 1911. but the resident engineer informs me that the bay. The cost of these three items is when the line is opened it will be insufficient. small and will be met, without increasing the and will have to be augmented. We cannot, estimates, by abolishing high platforms at however, say exactly what quantity of rolling the small intermediate stations which are stock We shall require until the working not considered necessary. After much discus- agreement has been negotiated with thesion with Mr. Barry when he was here Chinese. I may add too, that the carriages it was decided that the small workshops which will cost something less than half what had would be necessary should be placed on bean estimated, for the amount placed on the Crown land at the head of Hunghom Bay. It estimates had been calculated on the basis of is considered that the building and plant will carriages for the Shanghai railway, and we find will not cost more than $120,000, which is now by adopting a less expensive model we can reduce included in the estimates. After much discus- the cost from about $2.000 per carriage to sion it was also decided to locate the terminal $1,900. As regards earthwork, under the station on land near Salisbury Road where it estimate at the end of 1967 the chief resident would be near the various piers where passen- engineer already anticipated a saving of over gers and baggage would be landed, and more $140,504 on the estimate made in the previous central. It would leave the deep water an- June. Out of this saving, $35.000 will bechorage free for ocean going steamers. This will allocated to a reduction of the bank in the big involve some land resumption which I think well cutting at the head of Hunghom Bay. This worth doing in order to acquire the advantages cutting is about 210 feet deep, and the ongineers which I have just named. It is not possible to consider that looking to the very pliable nature say what the cost of these resumptions will be of the ground it is unsafe to allow the slip to because it will involve a considerable amount of stand without some further precautions adjustment between the Colonial Government to avoid landslips which may block and the railway accounts. The report of the the line for a period of several months. medical officer is very satisfactory. Beri-beri,. $110,000 is devoted to the prolongation of the and dysentery at the tunnel have decreased sea wall from the storm water drain to Black-by-50 per cent. This is due to better organisa- head's Point. This had long been décided upon but was not included in the December estimates because no definite decision had been arrived at as to its exact location. It had originally been intended to make the wall in straight line to Blackhead's but it was get back in order to effect a substantial saving by constructing the wall in shallower water. $40,000 are also required, which I hope will be met from the saving in earthwork, for cutting off the corner on Signal Hill in order that the railway might obtain a proper curve in approaching Kowloon Station. I turn now to the more pleasant task of reporting the progress which has been made upon the railway during the past year. I think we can describe it as satisfactory on the whole with the exception perhaps of the big cutting at Hunghom and the reclamation for the station yard which are let to contract to Messrs Leigh and Orange. As there was a prospect that the time for this would be much exceeded we entered into negotiations with them in order to obtain the use of what is called the overland route" construction line which they have made and also in obtaining access to certain under reclamation in advance of the completion of the contract. By obtaining running powers over the construction line we shall facilitate the opening of the railway at a very much earlier date than would otherwise have been possible. In return we have allowed them twelve months' extension of the time for the big cutting which, as I have said, will not delay the opening of the railway. It will be opened over the overland route and they have
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tion and to better methods. The number of coolies employed on the railway throughout the` year per day. was 3,244. Both sections-our section and the Chinese section-are now well advanced, and we hope before long to undertake negotiations for a joint working agreement think gentlemen, that covers all the points on which you are likely to feel interested in the work during the past year and the prospects in the future (Applause).
DEMONETIZATION OF POSTAGE STAMPS. The ACTING ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the first reading of a Bill entitled An Ordinance to demonetize Postage Stamps bearing the Head of Her late Majesty Queen Victoria.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded and the motion was agreed to.
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CHILDREN'S ORDINANCE AMENDMENT. The ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL moved the First reading of a Bill entitled An Ordinance to amend the Law with respect to Children and Young Persons.
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The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded and the motion was agreed to.
LARCENY ORDINANCE AMENDMENT. The ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL Moved the first reading of a Bill entitled An Ordinance to amend The Larceny Ordinance, 1865.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded and the motion was agreed to.
PUBLIC HEALTH ORDINANCE AMENDMENT.
The ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL moved the second reading of the Bill entitled `An Ordin- auce to amend The Public Health and Buildings Ordinances 1903-1908.
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