1 ( 39 )
2 231. The Satlej marked 936 logs as waif, and the Bids 1,043 logs. The
3 Jhelam waif for 1871-72, though not mentioned in the
4 bik Annual Report, was 1,132 logs, 18,204 cubic feet ;* neither
5 the Chenib nor Révi—(Mr. Watters’ and Mr. McDonell’s)reports make any allu-
6 sion to the number of waiflogs. I cannot delay the report to obtain the informa-
7 tion, but the attention of the officers has been called to the omission. Of course,
8 in the upper parts of the Chendb and of the Ravi above Chamba there is
9 no such thing as waif, because all timber marked or not belongs to Government ;
10 but directly these rivers reach a place where foreign timber comes into the river,
11 so that unidentified logs can become the subject of right to ore State or to the
12 other, it is necessary to know how much of such material becomes Government
13 property, and is added to the Depdt stock.
14 232. During the year some special sleeper work has been carried on.
15 Mr. Duff has obtained some 12,000 sleepers from the
16 Mandi State, this being intended as a stand-by, as a sup-
17 plement to our own works.
18 233. On the Satlej, in anticipation of the probable demand, Major Bat-
19 chelor put a strong gang of sawyers on the ‘“ Transit
20 Depdts” from Nehla to Raili and sawed up all the small logs.
21 This gang, in two months, prepared over 25,000 sleepers, and the work supple-
22 mented by some sawing at Philor resulted in 30,119 sleepers being ready at
23 the beginning of this year, and these have been since despatched to the Indus
24 Valley Railway W orks.
25 934. As there was a probable further demand for sleepers at Lahore,—
26 ‘ ee aaa which if it did not come off, would leave a quantity ready
27 sleeper contractor. for the Satlej,—I engaged a European contractor to pre-
28 pare 30,000 sleepers, conditioned on their being absolutely
29 approved by the Railway Engineers. I allowed him to have wood out of the
30 depots at Philor and Bids (Wazir Bholar) out of which he was to saw up sleepers.
31 Ie, however, converted a lot of the wood into planks, and sold them for himself,
32 e ee a that the divisions have outstandings for value of timber
33 clone otfiue outatandmgs supplied, which was not retained as I expected in shape
34 of sleepers. He, however, made a new contract, in which
35 the work is given over to a really reliable worker, the original contractor still
36 retaining all liability ; a portion of the price payable for each sleeper is to
37 be deducted for the outstandings, and no advances are to be given, and timber
38 to be sawn up in our depots ; thus, I fully hope that there will be absolutely no
39 loss. Mr. Allan arranged the second contract, and deserves
40 Mr Allan’s services in’ much credit for the way in which he travelled about at a
41 aka moment's notice, and adjusted a matter which might other-
42 wise have caused a loss of some 10,000 Rupees.
43 235. The Officer in charge of the Satle} Depot, though he ought to have
44 satin ten known that his timber was being sawn up into planks,
45 aia aie ta never seems to have noticed the fact; or if he did, he gave
46 Sleeper work.
47 Mandi State.
48 On the Satlej.
49 no information of it.
50 236. A special felling of 10,000 trees of Pinus Longifolia, chiefly in
51 the Kangra (Nurptr Forests,) and afew in Gurdaspur,
52 rose felling of Punus was reported last year. The contractor has worked
53 ongifolia, The failure of ‘ as : ——
54 sia ieneke very badly in getting out the material, and has in fact
55 failed utterly to do the work within the time. The con-
56 tractor was first to make the material into sleepers,—50,000 double, as before
57 explained, this was verbally agreed to in conference, but some mistake arose,
58 and the number accepted was officially decided to be 15,000, and single sleepers.
59 I therefore had to alter the contract to bring out the wood in logs and beams,
60 &c., that would be saleable to the general public, and did not regret the work,
61 us no doubt the introduction ona rather large scale of wood of this sort is
62 ae necessary to test its market value. Moreover, I anticipated
63 Beet? ont avout that creosoted chfl would be largely used on the i ndus
64 works. I fear, however, that creosoting works may be
65 erected in time, and I am so anxious that this timber, which I confidently predict
66 ee
67 * The failure of the new system whereby Government is to manage the waifa has boon specially roported.