ANNUAL ADDRESS. V. 



they are consistent with public interests and private rights 

 and if so to afford the necessary authority for their con- 

 struction and management. 



In the case of India it was recognised from the outset 

 that all public works of importance should be either actually 

 or practically under Government control. The construc- 

 tion of roads was early taken in hand by the Government, 

 and it is safe to state that the grand trunk roads are not 

 excelled by any in the world. Not long ago, a touring 

 cyclist stated from his own experience that in Upper India 

 he could go for a thousand miles along a road any part of 

 which is better than the best road in England. In the 

 early days of railway construction, the main trunk lines 

 were constructed by companies, the Government guaran- 

 teeing a specified minimum interest on the outlay, but 

 stipulating that when the net return exceeded this rate, 

 the Government would be entitled to half the excess. This 

 system was probably the best that could have been adopted 

 at the time, and on the whole it proved very beneficial to 

 the country and fairly satisfactory to all parties concerned. 

 In the course of time, owing to the necessity for frontier 

 railways for strategic purposes, as well as other grounds, 

 it was deemed advisable for the Government to take up 

 the construction and management of railway lines, and as 

 a rule this policy is now adopted. The Government of 

 India, however, takes a very broad view of the question. 

 There are lines which have been constructed and are 

 managed by companies, others which have been constructed 

 and are managed by the Government, and some which were 

 constructed by the Government and are managed by com- 

 panies. 



All the great irrigation works of India — the finest and 

 the most extensive irrigation works in the world — are purely 

 Government undertakings. The political and social con- 



