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the form as exhibited herein at Appendix I. The Notices were duly

published.

 4. The Commission accordingly held meetings at the

 Militia Hall at Fort George in Belize on the 11th, 15th, 18th

 and 20th July, 1962.

 5. Twenty-one persons as set cut in Appendix II then

 successively took the oeth and gave evidence before us.

 8. Mr. C.A.B. Ross, the Acting Crown Counsel of the

 Attorney General's Department, kindly conducted the examination

 in chief of the witnesses.

 7. At the meeting on the 20th July the hearings were

 adjourned sine die and the Commissioners then visited the site

 of the temporary pontoon bridge where the accident had occurred.

 8. Before examining the evidence of this matter in

 detail we will state some of the background to the accident.

 9. By written contract dated 17th day of Junc, 1962,

 between the Milan Construction Company Limited (hereinafter called

"Milan") and Albort Edward Cattouse, Minister of Public Works,

Power and Commnnications acting for and on behalf of the Government

of British Honduras Milan agreed to do some repairs and overhaul

to the Belize Swing Bridge and to erect a temporary bridge across

the river at a point three hundred yards upstream from the Swing

Bridge. The temporary bridge was to be erected by using two barges

each 20 feet by 70 feet with a ramp approach to the shore on each

side. The contract dous not mention it but the construction of

this temporary bridge was to serve for the crossing of vehicular

traffic from one side of the river to the other during the repair

of the Swing Bridge; it was not intended to carry pedestrian traffic

and indeed in a letter dated 51st May 1962 from the Principal

Secretary, Ministry of Public Works, Power and Conmunications,

to Mr. Milan it is stated inter alia:

 "It is further understood that the existing Swing Bridge

 will be available for pedestrian and bicycle traffic throughout

 the period of repairs as the temporary bridge will not be suitable
 ... for