(This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
CHINA TRADE.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[41423]
No. 1.
[December 18.]
SECTION 1.
Sir,
Board of Trade to Foreign Office.—(Received December 18.)
Board of Trade, December 17, 1907.
I AM directed by the Board of Trade to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 4th instant with regard to the railway rates to stations on the Manchurian Railway from Newchwang and Dalny respectively.
The Board note that the rates quoted in your letter (which are those for goods of the second class carried in whole car-loads) from these ports to Mukden, viz., 560 and 625 sen per too, are equivalent to 49 ser and 2.5 sen per ton respectively per mile to that point. They also note that, if contrary to the usual railway practice, the same rates per ton per mile were charged to stations further up the line, the rates to Kwangchentze would be considerably greater from Newchwang than from Dalny. I am, however, to point out that, although in the Table of rates which formed a Sub-Inclosure to your letter of the 8th October no rates are given so far as Kwang- chentze, the rates are stated for several stations beyond Mukden, and that for stations from Tiebling onwards the rates from Newchwang and Dalny are almost absolutely identical. They think, therefore, that it is probable that there is a similar identity in the rates to Kwangchentze, and they would in any case suggest, for Sir E. Grey's consideration, that it would be desirable before considering whether there is any ground for further action in this case, that at least the rates per ton for goods of the second class carried in whole car-loads from Dalny and Newchwang to Kwangchentze, should be ascertained by cable.
I am, &c.
(Signed)
GEO. J. STANLEY.
[2765 s--~)
-1]
Da
501