64 ECONOMIC CONDITIONS ( No. 96 -crossed by viaducts of an aggregate length of over 2.1 miles. There are 68 smaller viaducts, 326 small cul verts, and one tunnel, 200 yards long.

Railways in tropical and semi-tropical zones are subject to specialdifficulties of water supply . The Uganda Railway has some 20 watering stations between coast and lake, but in at least half of these the supply is either scanty and uncertain in amount or defective in quality. In most instances recourse has to be had to pumping, a gravity supply not being practicable.

The full load of an average train is 100 tons; the average load carried has increased in the last six years from 52 to 71 tons . An average passenger train can carry 400 third -class passengers. There is a daily ser vicebetween Mombasa and the lake ; it would be possible to run two trains daily each way . The journey from Mombasa to Kisumu takes 43 hours.

Finance. — The railways, with their subsidiary marine systems, are owned by the Protectorate Govern ments, and their profits or losses swell or diminish the Protectorates' revenues. The Magadi Railway was built bythe Magadi Soda Company, and is now worked by the Uganda Railway Administration, which by agreement is to receive half of any profits, but take entire responsibility for any losses that may occur . For the year 1916-1917 the loss on working amounted to £7,491 .

The capital outlay upon therailways andsteamship services to March 1917 was £6,497,279 . No interest is payable on the greater part of this total, as an amount of £5,692,009 represents grants made by the Imperial Government for the construction of the main line and the Magadi branch line . An item of £376,302 consists of sumsalready chargedagainst the ordinary revenues of the Protectorates ; while the remainder, a total of £428,968 , is composed of the payments made to March_1917 against four loans_sanctioned by the Imperial Parliament for the Thika Railway ( £ 250,000), the Kilindini Pier (£250,000) , and railway extensions (£375,000 and £ 1,868,000 ). On these capital pay