202 Timehri. 



MINORITY REPORT. 



We. the undersigned members of the Committee appointed to discuss 

 Your Excellency's Despatch No. 5 of the 5th January, 1914. have with- 

 held our signatures from the majority report, because in our opinion the 

 construction of a hinterland railway should not be made conditional on a 

 colonization and development scheme for the coast and river districts. 



We agree with the majorit}' report that the industries on the coast and 

 river districts should be safeguarded so far as possible with respect to labour 

 withdrawn from those districts during the construction of any railway. 



We stronglvhokl the view that, in the event of the Secretary of State 

 declining to make a loan of the amount set down for the development of 

 the coast and river districts. His Majesty's Government should neverthe- 

 less be asked to sanction a loan on the terms suggested in Your 

 Excellency's despatch with which we entirely concur. 



Respectfully submitted, 



Cecil E. Rice, 

 A. F. White. 



MEMORANDUM BY MR. NUNAN FOR THE COMMITTEE AND 

 SUB-COMMITTEE ON RAILWAY MATTERS. 



The whole question turns upon what proposal to contribute and repay 

 we are able to make to the Secretary of State. He is unlikely to consider 

 a mere grant and we must advance a basis of discussion and negotiation. 



Can this Committee help the Governor in this matter ? His despatch 

 of 5th January implies that the Colons' is to assist in the enterprise, 

 paras. 11 (c), 12 (b) and 30. I have been asked to circulate the proposals 

 made in my speech to the Committee at its opening meeting, 20th April, 

 and now do so. 



My proposal is that we should put Railway loan of 1] M. Stg. plus 

 deferred interest, interest and Sinking Fund on a separate basis from a 

 Development loan of | M. Stg. plus deferred interest, interest and Sinking 

 Fund and ask the Secretary of State to help us as regards both. 



(1.) I wish to emphasize that we have only Mr. Bland's figures to go 

 on and are not a body of experts ourselves. Whatever doubts we may 

 have as regards under or over estimates of costs or profits in details there 

 is nothing to be gained by dwelling on them at the moment. When a 

 detailed survey is made the estimates can be re-adjusted. At present we 

 should be only wasting time in trying to criticise the only expert basis of 

 discussion we have. 



(2.) If a through route is successfully constructed harbour construc- 

 tion will be easily managed. Capital will How in for a loan to improve a 

 harbour having a trunk-line terminus. We can postpone consideration of 

 this. Harbour improvement will not be urgent without a through route. 

 Three years hence is time enough. 



