COST 203 



But in order to form an estimate some data 

 will be needed as to labour, quantities of rocks 

 required, etc. I therefore propose to give some 

 figures which may be found useful, based 

 partly on my own experience and partly on 

 engineering tables. 



I shall take labour first. But as wages vary 

 so much in different parts of the country, I 

 think the most practical way of dealing with 

 it is, instead of giving cost, to give particulars 

 of the amount of work an ordinary labourer 

 might reasonably be expected to accomplish in 

 a day, and then, with a little calculation of 

 quantity and knowledge of the local rate of 

 wages, a very fair estimate of the probable cost 

 can be made. 



One man in a day of eight hours should dig 

 out and throw up on either side of a cutting 

 ten cubic yards of light friable soil. 



If the soil is stiff clay, which entails much 

 pick-work, he probably would not be able to 

 remove more than half that quantity. If there 

 are large boulder stones mixed with the earth, 

 it may take even longer. About three cubic 

 yards of soft rock, or about half a cubic yard 



