vatory and absorbs so large a proportion of its activities that the Observatory has been obliged to neglect important but less urgent tasks such as research into the many problems of meteorology and geophysics which await solution. Equipment is on order for re- establishing the time service and seismological work, interrupted by the war, and it is planned to establish a radiosonde and radar wind-finding station for investigation of the upper atmosphere.
The Rallway.
Kowloon is the southern terminal of a railway system extend- ing to the north as far as Hankow in central China. From Shum- chun on the border of the New Territories northward to Canton the route is now operated by the Canton-Hankow Railway, and is referred to as the southern section of that Line. From Shumchun south to Kowloon, a distance representing 36 kilometres out of a total of 183 kilometres from Kowloon to Canton, the railway is operated by the Hong Kong Government and is known as the British Section of the Kowloon-Canton Railway. As the railway is operated in two sections an agreement was in force before the war whereby each section collected its own local fares, while the rates for through traffic between Kowloon and Canton were divided in the proportion of 28 per cent to the British Section and 72 per cent to the Chinese Section. At the present time, pending the conclusion of a new agreement, the British Section is receiving a share of 20 per cent of the receipts and a terminal charge of 20 cents per ton on all traffic originating at Kowloon.
The Railway suffered severely during the Japanese occupa- tion, machinery, rolling stock and equipment of all kinds being either looted or destroyed. In consequence, heavy rehabilitation has been necessary and it is satisfactory to record that with the arrival of new machinery and materials considerable progress was made during 1948 towards a restoration of pre-war facilities and services. The arrival of new 95-lb. rails and accessories enabled an extensive programme of re-railing the whole of the mainline to be begun, special priority being devoted to the curved sections. Progress was also made towards the restoration of sidings removed during the war with the best of the rails removed from the main line.
The shortage of machines and tools, which since the reoccupa- tion has affected both the cost and speed with which repairs and rehabilitation could be carried out, was remedied to a certain extent during the year as the arrival of new supplies resulted in an improved workshops outturn. Repair costs per engine, carriage and wagon were lower, and the better maintenance of rolling stock also led to a reduced consumption of lubricating oil.
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