March 11, 1905.]
in Range Road has been fully occupied but towards the end of the month there were fewer admissions. The new Disinfection Station has been very busy; 90 rooms having been dis- infected and nearly 6,000 articles passed through the steam disinfector.
Apart from small-pox the Settlement has been remarkably free from preventable disease.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. they could use this track to reach Kulja or Ili across Mongolia. The cost is estimated at 2,000 francs per kilometre and the line could be construoted in twenty-five months.
THE CHING-HAN RAILWAY.
This important railway, now nearing comple- The new method of collection of household refuse will be applied to the whole of the tion, is bound to become a strong factor in the Starting Western District early next month. House-opening of the interior of China. holders are respectfully requested not to allow from the Ch'ienmên Station, at the very pre- house refuse to be thrown on the roads but to cincts of the Imperial Palace in the Capital, it | provide a proper receptacle. This receptacle is constructed right through the centre of the will be emptied daily by the sanitary soolies. great plain to the city of Hankow, the great No responsibility can be taken by the Health growing emporium on the Yangtze river. It Department for the proper removal of house passes three provinces (Chibli, Honan, Hupeh) refuse unless such receptacles are provided by and the prefectural cities of Paoting and Shunts householders. For small households an ordinary in Chilli; Changte and Weihai in Honan. galvanised iron pail is recommended, but for From Peking to the Yellow River the track is large households a galvanised iron bin should 620 kilometres and from the Yellow River to be used, an approved pattern of which will Hankow 515.5 or norrly 1,200 kilos to the whole ronte. For the most part the country covered be sent at a charge of $4 on receipt of an
is uniformly flat and no engineering difficulty intimation addressed to the Health Office.
of any consequence had to be faced, but on the boundary between the provinces of Honan and Hupeh the line bad to be carried in a serpentine cours) over a very mountainous district con- taining some of the finest scenery in China. The highest ridge is tunnelled. There is also a short tunnel on the south bank of the Yellow River at the approach to the bridge, which is now being rapidly built. This structure will be 3.3 kilometres in length and about 20 metres in height-six above water line.
DEATHS REGISTERED.
A
Small-pox... Typhoid Fever...
Cholera
...
Tuberculosis
Non-Cinese, Chinese.
189
Total from all causes
0
0 135
...!6
698
INFECTIOUS DISHASH NOTIFIED AMONG
NON-CHINESF.
Small-pox..
Cholera
Typhoid Fever
+
Diphtheria...
Scarlet Fever
Tuberculosis
G
Admitted to Hospital
Discharged
Died
ISOLATION HOSPITAL.
Remaining last day of month
Out-Patients
Vaccinations
38
0
9
7
1
.118
...110
13 56
249
...150
A FRENCH TELEGRAPH SYSTEM IN
ASIA.
Continuing its articles on the telegraphic communications of the world, and the danger of a practical English monopoly, L' Indo Chine Republicaine quotes the schemes which have been projected for a general French system which shall be independent of the British lines. Four years ago, our contemporary says, the Minister for the Colonies decided that telegrams destined for Saigon and Hanoi should be sent over the Russian in preference to the English lines (that is to say, that they would cease sending by the southern lines, which are entirely English, and pass through Aden, Bombay, Madras, Penang and Singapore), and would instead be sent over the cables of the Northern Company (Danish) of Copenhagen to St. Petersburg, Tomak, Vladivostock, Nagasaki, Shanghai, Amoy and Hongkong, whence only an English line goes to Haiphong and Hue for Saigon. To avoid this English section, Hongkong to Haiphong, M. Doumer when governor-general of Indo-China proposed to lay a cable to Amoy, a Chinese port, where it might connect with the Russian lines. Our contemporary goes on to remark that one of the home journals has pointed out that such a cable would be in danger of being cut by the English because the cable would have to be laid in the neighbour
hood of Hongkong.
The Saigon journal expresses a proference for the continental line because this would make a peaceful penetration into the Celestial Impir., easier. It is known that by the convention of April 1898, China confided her postal and telegraph services to French Agents. As the contracts between China and the Danish company who
actually hold the Chinese telegraph expired in 1902, it would be easy to take advantage of the circumstane s and make great line from Indo-China to Siberia, s branch from Lonang Prabang could be carried "p
the valley of the Mekong as far as Batang, whence it would branch off towards Long-cheou and traverse Szechuan and Kwangsi. It would have to go round Tibet owing to the hostility of the inhabitants. At Loongcheon they would meet the Russo-Chinese line, and
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An installation
There will be 102 spans (or arcs), but not of equal dimensions. Already twenty-two are completed from the south and ten from the north side. It is expected that the work will be finished in about five months. There is a staff of fifty European engineers and over 3,000 Chinese workmen employed, and the work is being rapidly pushed forward. of electric light is being erected and work will go on day and night. The treachery and strength of the current, and the breadth and nature of the stream, make the bridging of China's Sorrow a magnificent engineering project. No caissons are built, but sorew piles are driven by machinery, right down beneath the scour of the bed. When it is known that
14
"
the depth of the main current is ten metres; that in flood there is over 14 meires of water, and that there is no rock foundation in the river, the difficulty and nature of the bridging task may be appreciated. The united wisdom of Belgian, French, Austrian, Italian, and British engineers-for those nationalities are all represented on the staff-ought to surmount all obstacles and overcome all difficulties, The native craft have taken across the treacherous current about 6,000 tons of bride material to the north bank in one month. The Company put on a steam launch, but she disappeared in the eddies, leaving not a wrack behind!
The interven-
It is interesting to know the actual time of travel between Peking and Hankow under pre- sent conditions. There are passenger trains being run and tickets issued on the north side from Peking to Changtêfu, and on the south side from Hankow to Hsichou. ing sections north and south of the Yellow River have the rails laid right to the bridge both sides, and construction and ballast trains ran at frequent intervals. Starting then from Peking, the first day's journey takes one to Shuntefu, the second day to Changtêfa (or if you be fortunate to ostoba to Hanhuanghsui), the third day to Hsinhsiang
construction train
haien, the fourth day to the Yellow River, the fifth day to Chengobon, the sixth day to Hsuchon, the seventh day to Hsinyangohon and the eighth day to Hankow. With better luck in connec- tion five or six days ought to suffice. Anyone proposing to make the trip either way ought to provide himself with (1) sa official permit, (2) sufficient bedding and stores for six or eight days, (3) a Chinese servant, (4) patience to negotiate the crossing of the Yellow River and to encounter the discomfort of Chinese innsen route. He will find the officials and engineers fully occupied with their duties, but conspicuously oivil and ready to facilitate the traveller's pro- gress, In a few more months the service will be accelerated and the journey from Peking to Hankow will be easily accomplished in four days. When the bridge over the Yellow River is open this Yangtze port will be easily within
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173
ten days' travel from the capital. Then the branch lines will farther extend this artery of communication to other provinces. At Chênt'ou (20 kilos south of Chêngtingfu) a narrow gauge line is being built to Taiyuanfu, the capital of Shansi. Fifty kilometres of roadway have been made and constractión trains are running towards Husilin. From Chêngchou in Honan six Belgian engineers have been at work on the line from for over three months Kaisengfu the capital to Haianfu, the great sity of the west. North of the Yellow the Ching-Han line also River the Peking Synpicate's short line. Other branches east and west are being surveyed Altogether for mining and other purposes.
conspicuous the Ching-Han railway is a outcome of the energy of the engineers and the enterprise of the Company. May the under- taking be crowned with success and enrich the commonweal of the country.-N.-O. Daily News
THE BUTCHERS' GUILD.
A COMBINATION TO RAISE PRICES.
crosses
Boof
A Daily Press representative on March let interviewed the keeper of the Hongkong Batchery Company, in Central Market, to inquire the reason for the rise in the price of meat. This person stated that the reason for the latest increase of prices was that cattle from Canton were now more expensive than before. The man said that a cow formerly costing $40. could not now be bought for less than $50. This rise had come about gradually. steak and soup mest now cost 20 cents and 16 cents respectively, as against 18 cents and 14 cents a few days ago. A similar inoreasa was noted in the osse of mutton. A $10 sheep "We now charge 28 now costs $12 to $18. cents for shoulder of mutton, and 28 cents for chops and neck, as against 24 cents and 26 cents respectively. It is not long since mutton was only 16 cents." It is Guild pidjin-the man said: By and by still more dear. All butchers have agreed together."
THE TEA SEASON.
THERE is a rumour afloat that with the incoming tea season most of the Pailin or. Paklum teas will be carried overland, as formerly, instead of being shipped by steamer. The reason given for this reversion to ancient practice is that during the past year, upon the arrival of steamers in Fooshow, the teas were discharged in a hurry into sundry cargo boats, haphazard.
This resulted in making the eventual sorting out of consignments a task of considerable difficulty and caused much delay in delivery.
Owing to insufficient accommodation on the steamers running between Santu and Foochow and the paucity of native craft bringing teas from interior shipping ports of the Samsah Inlet to Santu, consignments, it is maintained, were frequently either "shut out" at Santu or kept waiting at the more inland port of, for example, Mintek, Paisheh and Yentien.
It is further maintained that more godown accommodation isapparently needed both atSantu and Foochow. The fear is expressed that unless
more consideration is shown for native interests in the Santu Distriot " what little tra le exista will disappear and the tes trade is likely to return to the old Channels" ones !
-cross country
The subject is a most interesting, if not a most important one, for many interests are involved: We must regret that the above report has resobed us too late to allow. of a discussion in this issue. But we feel bound to say at once that we have serious doubts as to the probability of a revival of the Overland route. The whole question of inland navigation and the desirability of Santu as the central or principal Custom station is involved. And the season for Paklum tess being a very short one, the difficulties reported of insufficient godown accommodation should not proves serious obstacle to such an infinite advantage as a direct shipment by steamer must Echo.
how