CH. XX 
THE UGANDA RAILWAY 
!93 
make a report, which report led to the formation of the 
Uganda Protectorate in 1894 and of the East Africa 
Protectorate in 1895. At the same date, the con¬ 
struction of the railway was decided on “ to represent 
the contribution of this country to the execution of its 
obligations under the Brussels Act.” Seldom has such 
a lofty moral view prevailed by such a narrow margin, 
or when it has prevailed been received with such a 
universal flow of abuse. 
The work of construction actually commenced in 
December, 1895, an d the first train reached the 
Lake Victoria in December, 1901. The line was 
handed over to the Protectorate by the construction 
committee in October, 1903. The railway is State- 
owned. The cost was roughly 5J millions and was 
raised on terminable annuities at 3 per cent, which will 
be all paid off by the year 1929. 
With regard to the actual construction and the 
technical skill with which it was conducted there have 
never been two opinions. It was a finely conceived 
and splendidly carried out piece of work. With 
regard, however, to the cost of the same opinion is 
diverse. This division of opinion is of recent date, and 
is satisfactory inasmuch as up to the view stated by 
the present Governor that the cost of construction 
was strictly moderate, expert opinion seemed to be 
pretty well unanimous that it had been excessive. 
Sir Percy Girouard’s reputation and knowledge of 
railways stands so high that his opinion, even at so 
late a date, must almost counterbalance the mass of 
previous expert opinion with which it is in conflict. 
Certainly the writer has no intention of arguing the 
point. Three considerations, however, must be borne 
in mind. Firstly, that the estimate of the cost pre- 
o 
