8
and who knows what is wanted out here. He built the line recently owned by the Peking Syndicate, and is well known to Chinese authorities.
Very sorry not to have met you when at Hankow, hope to do so next time I that way.
pass
Yours sincerely, (Signed)
C. W. KINDER.
Inclosure 14 in No. 1.
man.
9
report his Excellency's words to you in case it should be possible to detach a competent I gathered that 900 dollars a month (say 1,170. a-year) might be got as salary, and I should suggest that, in view of the possibility reported in my telegram, No. 24, of the 22nd November, Mr. Kinder might fairly be asked to make a special effort to meet the Viceroy's wishes by detaching one of his assistants for the few months required for the survey, or else by suggesting someone in England. I feel sure that his Excelleney Chang's timidity and experience of such business will prevent his applying, as suggested in Mr. Kinder's letter, to Mr. Bourne in London.
I have, &c.
E. H. FRASER.
Dear Mr. Chan.
Consul-General Fraser to Mr. Chan.
**
Hunkow, November 6, 1906. MR. KINDER'S reply of the 1st November was by a coincident delivered by the Imperial Post this forenoon. In it he says: "I fear I cannot induce any really suitable man on my staff to accept the terms offered. Mr. Cox has gone on leave for one year, and Mr. Tuckey already gets 1,2007, per annum, and will require more to go south even if he is offered a fixed appointment of Engineer-in-chief." After some adverse remarks on the scheme of two assistants of different nationalities without a technical chief, &c., with which I need not trouble his Excellency, Mr. Kinder continues: As all our skilled Chinese assistants have been removed to new lines, I am now getting substitutes from home, so we have really nobody to spare at the present moment. Application for English engineers has also been made from Canton, and as they are unable to secure suitable men, I have advised them to apply to T. J. Bourne, M.I.C.E. (ie., Member of Institute of Civil Engineers), 10, Victoria Street, London, who was one of my best men, and who knows what is wanted out here. He built the line recently owned by the Peking Syndicate in Honan, and is well known to the Chinese authorities."
From above it appears that British engineers on the northern railways are well paid and need substantial inducement to leave that very prosperous line while there is no one at present available for survey work in any case. A good man has so many openings all over the world that he will not accept terms considered in the engineering profession derogatory or unsatisfactory; and vice versa, a cheap man who accepts such terms is surely wanting in important qualities for the post-knowledge, honesty, zeal for his employers' interests.
I have no word of the Hou Hu land proposals promised by his Excellency in his note of the 26th October, nor has he answered my offer to call sent on that day.
I hope your currency researches proceed satisfactorily, and am yours sincerely,
E. H. FRASER,
(No. 72.) Sir,
(Signed)
Inclosure 15 in No. 1.
Consul-General Fraser to Sir J. Jordan.
Hankow, November 23, 1906. BEGGING reference to my despatch No. 67 of the 8th instant, I have the honour to report that at the visit paid by me to his Excellency on the 21st instant at his request the Viceroy Chang expressed regret at the tenour of Mr. Kinder's reply to his request for an assistant engineer to co-operate in the resurvey of the Hupei and Hunan sections of the Hankow-Canton railway.
I replied that Messrs. Cox and Tuckey, who had 1001. a-month as assistants to Mr. Kinder, could hardly be expected to take other and more responsible work on a lower salary.
His Excellency said that originally he intended to entrust the survey of the southern line to Mr. Kinder, of the western to the Japanese, Mr. Haraguchi. Mr. Kinder delayed his coming, and now, he understood, could not be spared by his Excellency the Viceroy Yuan. Mr. Haraguchi, under whom Mr. Kinder formerly was in Japan, had come and undergone the discomforts of a Hankow summer for a monthly salary of 1,000 dollars. It would be impossible to offer any British engineer pay on a higher scale. His Excellency, moreover, had now decided to have the survey southward carried out by a Japanese and a British engineer jointly, if we bad an engineer available, otherwise he must be content to employ Japanese only.
I replied that from Mr. Kinder's letter, which Mr. Chan had translated for his Excellency, it appeared that Mr. Kinder was short of assistants. I would, however,
(No. 75.) Sir,
(Signed)
Inclosure 16 in No. 1.
Consul-General Fraser to Sir J. Jordan.
Hankow, December 1, 1906. IN continuation of my despatch No, 72 of the 23rd November, I have the honour to forward copy and translation of the Viceroy Chang's reply to a note asking for definite information as to his verbal request for a British assistant engineer to join a Japanese in resurveying the Hankow-Canton railway trace in the Hukuan Provinces.
This note seems to make it certain that his Excellency will not await reference to England, and I suspect that, unless his request can be met promptly, he will consider himself absolved from any obligation to employ British as well as Japanese on the railway, whether for survey or construction duties. Could an engineer be detached from the northern railways for three or four months simply for the resurvey, I think the Viceroy would agree to engage another man from home for the construction.
I have, &c. (Signed) E. H. FRASER.
Inclosure 17 in No. 1.
Viceroy Chang to Consul-General Fraser.
(Translation.)
Hunkow, November 30, 1906. Sir,
IN reply to your note of the 24th instant, I beg to state that my intention is to engage a qualified assistant railway engineer of your nationality, at a monthly salary not exceeding 900 dollars, and after his arrival in Hupei I propose to bid him resurvey the trace of the Canton-Hankow line, and when the time comes I shall detach some Japanese engineer to go with him, which one it will be for me to arrange properly.
As to the date for starting operations, a Japanese engineer at the beginning of this moon started surveying the Wuchang-Yochow section, and the point from which the British engineer should begin surveying will be reserved for later decision in accordance with the necessities of the case.
But as soon as he arrives he will find work to do, and the quicker he comes the better. So I still hope you will speedily find out a suitable trustworthy officer, and let me know his full name, when the terms of his contract can be considered and arranged.
Inclosure 18 in No. 1,
I have, &c.
(Card of Chang Chih Tung).
Mr. C. Kinder to Sir J. Jordan.
Tongshan, December 6, 1906. Dear Sir John,
YOURS of the 4th instant to hand, relative to an assistant engineer for Chang Chih Tung.
I cannot get any of my staff to accept the offers made by Mr. Fraser, and no man worth his salt would leave our line for an uncertainty.
385