!['Mesopotamian Transport Commission. Report of the Commission Appointed by the Government of India with the Approval of the Right Hon'ble The Secretary of State for India, to Enquire into Questions Connected with the Organisation and Administration of the Railway and River Transport in Mesopotamia' [‎18r] (35/114)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100023203909.0x000001/IOR_L_MIL_17_15_125_1_0036.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "'Mesopotamian Transport Commission. Report of the Commission Appointed by the Government of India with the Approval of the Right Hon'ble The Secretary of State for India, to Enquire into Questions Connected with the Organisation and Administration of the Railway and River Transport in Mesopotamia' [‎18r] (35/114)")
'Mesopotamian Transport Commission. Report of the Commission Appointed by the Government of India with the Approval of the Right Hon'ble The Secretary of State for India, to Enquire into Questions Connected with the Organisation and Administration of the Railway and River Transport in Mesopotamia' [18r] (35/114)
The record is made up of 1 volume (55 folios). It was created in 1918. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
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The yard is very efficiently organised and suitably equipped. The number of
men employed is approximately 3,200. There are 13 .building berths available
for erection of vessels and during the three months ending December, 1917, 24
barges have been delivered, giving an average construction of 8 per mensem
including all vessels, 42 have been completed in the yard during this period, giving
an average of 14 per mensem.
These are satisfactory results and particularly so in view of the fact that the
yard is a comparatively new establishment, ground having been first broken at the
site towards the end of 1916.
145 . The facilities for working traffic at Basra and at up-river stations have Up-river stations,
been gradually extended or are now being carried out. Chapter I, paragraph 12,
deals with the progress made in this direction in the Port of Basra. At up-river
stations, such work, all of a necessary kind, has been done ; wharves and jetties of
a suitable kind have been constructed to facilitate the berthing of vessels and the
working of traffic. Banks have been revetted and the improved foreshore been
made into suitable traffic working areas where necessary. We inspected the more
important stations up-river and found the facilities provided were necessary
and such as would give increased efficiency in working the fleet and personnel.
Offices and quarters have been erected at all river stations as necessary. The
provision of these has entailed a great amount of work and expenditure but they
were essential and have been reasonably designed and constructed. Storage tanks,
pipe lines and ghat hydrants have been put in or are being provided at stations
where oiling of vessels is necessary.
146. Efficient workshops of suitable size and reasonably equipped have been
provided at :—■
Amara.
Kut.
Nasiriyeh
Baghdad (motor boat slip and workshop).
Feluja (a small workshop in process of fitting out).
A floating workshop for emergency up-river work has also been brought into
service and provided invaluable facilities during the advance of last year. It is
at present at Baghdad and is worked in conjunction with the main workshop.
The up-river facilities have practically all been provided during 1917, and the
expenditure on this account must have been very heavy. The buildings, wharves,
jetties, and workshops are either finished and equipped or nearly so, and there is
likely to be comparatively little expenditure on account of the above from now
onwards if the mileage of the river operated remains as at present.
147. A large number of motor boats is used in general service in operating the Motor boats,
fleet. Appendix A (5) shews how the total fleet of motor boats is distributed.
We invited the Director's attention to the large number of general service boats
based on Basra. He stated that this matter had had his attention for some
time. A number of pools had been started with the idea of securing economy
in use of boats. The scheme first tried had been found unworkable and a single
pool which the Director hoped would ultimately become a general pool had been
started. The Director advised us that the general pool would undoubtedly effect
a great saving.
148. We find a complete system of costing in operation at the dockyard en- Costing •
tailing much work and the employment of a considerable staff. On enquiring into
the necessity for this in the present circumstances in Mesopotamia, we learned that
it was started by a previous Director but there was some uncertainty as to why
it had been started. As no prices are sent from India with material, the Dockyard
Accounts Department fixes the prices on the basis of certain pre-war prices plus
a certain percentage. The present Director would not object to costing being stop
ped and thinks there would be no loss of efficiency, interest or energy in the work
done, this might be considered.
S129(w)AD
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The volume is Mesopotamian Transport Commission. Report of the Commission Appointed by the Government of India with the Approval of the Right Hon'ble The Secretary of State for India, to Enquire into Questions Connected with the Organisation and Administration of the Railway and River Transport in Mesopotamia (Simla: Government Monotype Press, 1918).
Terms of reference of the Commission:
- (1) Are the Railway and Inland Water Transport Directorates in Mesopotamia organised and adminstered on systems which ensure the most economical utilization of the labour - both skilled and unskilled - supplied to them consistent with efficiency and military considerations? If not, what changes in organisation and administration are recommended?
- (2) Is Mesopotamia receiving its due share of personnel consistent with the claims of railways, shipping and manufacturing interests in India?
- (3) Applying the considerations mentioned in (1) is the organisation of Railways and Inland Water Transport in Mesopotamia such as to ensure that: (a) Excessive stocks of materials are not held; (b) Demands from the various Directorates are co-ordinated; (c) Machinery and tools and plant in workshops and elsewhwere are utilised to the maximum extent.
Commissioners: Major-General H F E Freeland (Chairman); Mr E A S Bell; Mr G Richards; Mr A J Chase (Secretary); Mr James E Roy; Captain E F Daldy, RNR.
The report contains the following sections:
- General description;
- Military organisation for control and supervision of transportation services;
- Tonnage requirements and capacity of rivers and railways;
- Detailed consideration of present conditions;
- Future developments;
- Conclusions and recommendations.
The volume also contains appendices on inland water transport; railways; and local resources.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (55 folios)
- Arrangement
There is a table of contents on folio 4, which also includes a list of the maps in Volume 2 [IOR/L/MIL/17/15/125/2].
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at 1 on the front cover and terminates at 57 on the back cover. The numbers are written in pencil, are enclosed in a circle, and appear in the top right hand corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. page of each folio. This is the system that has been used to determine the order of pages.
Pagination: there is also an original printed pagination sequence, numbered 2-100 (ff 6-55).
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- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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'Mesopotamian Transport Commission. Report of the Commission Appointed by the Government of India with the Approval of the Right Hon'ble The Secretary of State for India, to Enquire into Questions Connected with the Organisation and Administration of the Railway and River Transport in Mesopotamia' [18r] (35/114), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/MIL/17/15/125/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023464681.0x000025> [accessed 2 December 2024]
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- Reference
- IOR/L/MIL/17/15/125/1
- Title
- 'Mesopotamian Transport Commission. Report of the Commission Appointed by the Government of India with the Approval of the Right Hon'ble The Secretary of State for India, to Enquire into Questions Connected with the Organisation and Administration of the Railway and River Transport in Mesopotamia'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:56v, back-i, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence