The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-03-11

count the theories put forward by the
contending parties. Three Swiss en-
gineers, prominent in their profession
and Of high character were selected,
and the commission was appointed
with the concurrence Of all parties.
The report of this commission was
long delayed, and it was finally pre-
scented, and was found TO be the most
comprehensive and exhaustive. The re-
suit, briefly summarized, was as fol-
lows
In reply to the contention Of the
Portuguese government that the claim
ants were only entitled to the reim-
bursement of money expended, the re-
joinder was that the value of the con-
struction at the time of seizure VAS
S,2750O0. In regard to the value of
the concession at the time of seizure,
having in view the uncertainty as to
the future of the road, the value was
placed S5500,000, but in December,
1896, at the time Of the inspection, it
was increased to $4,000, 600 This result
was arrived at by assuming an annual
increase of 10 per cent. i'm the traffic,
with working expenses at 56 per cent,
and allowing the Delagoa Bay line %
per cent. only Of the Transvaal traf-
ilc as against 43 allowed for the Cane
line, and 80 per cent. conceded to the
Natal line. Note was also made of
the great advance in land values at
Lorenzo Marques in recent years, land
worth only so cents in 1889 now sell
ing at $ll0 per square metre. A house
sold few years since for $4,000 brought
recently $4,000. Land outside the town
advanced Correspondingly.
In May, 1898, the Court of Arbitra-
ton, having given the various parties
to the litigation time to consider the
report, requested them TO file any fur
ther observations they wished to make
and to formulate other questions, if
so desired. to the experts on the COM
mission.
This invitation was aVailed of, and
the Portuguese government submitted
the report of fourth expert employed
by itself. Dr. Escher a Swiss engin-
eer, vigorously criticising the report
of the technical commission as assign
ing an undue value to the concession.
The British and American govern
ments while accepting the report in
the main and recognizing its fairness
ana dDllllyi TOOK exception TO three
points. They We're of opinion that the
legitimate share of the Delagoa Bay
railway in the traffic of the TransVall
should be at least one-third instead Of
the one-fourth assigned to it. They
also pointed out that the commission
omitted to value about 5000 acres of
land i'm the neighborhood of Lorenzo
Marques belonging to the company and
expressed the opinion that on the basis
of the other valuations made bY the
commission, that land is worth S., ,000,- -
o., which should be added to the value
Of the concession. In order to hasten
the settlement of the arbitration the
three governments agreed to forego the
oral arguments with which it was III
tended to close the discussion, and to
substitute a resume OF the facts and
arguments deduced from them. The re-
cent request of the British and Amer
lean governments for prompt decisi IN
by the Court OF Arbitration on the
facts and arguments in the case VIII
probably now bring this remarkab .
piece Of international litigation to "A
speedy termination.