Communications and transit > Enquiry on national public works

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2. Various departmental roads are also under construction and will shortly be
completed.
3. A small palace measuring 60 metres by 35 metres is now being built at Addis-
Ababa in the grounds of the little Guebi. The building consists of a ground floor and two
other floors, comprising a hundred rooms.
The internal decorations and part of the furniture have been ordered in Europe.
The palace, beside which a chapel will be built, is surrounded by a park of 25 hectares.
The construction of an Imperial palace at Harrar, which was put in hand at the
beginning of 1934, will shortly be completed.
4. Church.—A church dedicated to St. Mary is now being built in the capital of the
Empire.
C.—Works the Execution of which is at present in Contemplation.
The engineers of the Ministry of Public Works are studying plans for the following
public works :
1. Various national and departmental roads such as :
The Addis-Ababa - Alague road;
The Bessie - Aheia-Fege road;
The Bessie - Bate road ;
The Bessie - Gonder road;
The Beguemder - Godjam road;
The Bjima - Maji road.
2. Various surveys have been made in the vast arid regions of Wamaet of Guibie,
with a view to ascertaining whether it is possible to irrigate them and grow crops
there. The cultivation of cotton, rice, etc., was found to be practicable. Provision
has been made in the scheme for the carrying out of all the operations required to
enable these crops to be grown.
Surveys are now being made with a view to ascertaining the hydraulic possi¬
bilities of the region, the establishment of waterways and the harnessing of waterfalls.
The work will be begun as soon as these surveys have been completed.
Schemes are also under consideration for the construction of several wireless
stations and hospitals, a large military school, law-courts, an up-to-date town-hall, etc.
A large Imperial palace will be built in the grand Guebi (Imperial Palace) of
Addis-Ababa in the very near future.
Other Imperial palaces are to be built in various provincial towns.
II. Administrative Methods.
In general, the plans for the works mentioned under I are drawn up by the engineers
of the Ministry of Public Works; they are then submitted for approval to a commission
appointed by the Minister.
The members of this commission are chosen from among the Public Works engineers.
The commission may also include technicians who are not Government officials but whose
assistance has been requested by the Minister.
However, in the case of particularly important works, public tenders must be invited.
All works are carried out by order and for account of the central authority, either
by the Administration itself or by a contractor, according to circumstances.
If it is decided to entrust the execution of the works to a contractor, tenders are
always invited.