Encl. in Sir John Jordan's No. 992 of the 25 June 1908.
185
Dear Sir John,
Mr. Bland to Sir J. Jordan.
25441
PEKING, 10 June 1908.
JUL 22 1908
On the 8th instant I discussed with Mr. Liang Shih-yi the question of consulting engineers for the bridge work on the Canton-Kowloon Railway. He agreed to the Engineer-in-Chief's contention that the work must be put up to tender, in accordance with the terms of the loan agreement, and therefore withdrew his earlier proposal that the order should be placed directly with the Tongshan Iron Works. As regards the appointment of Messrs. Barry to be consulting engineers to the railway, however, he definitely refused to agree to this, although at our last meeting he promised to consider favourably a proposition put forward by the firm that they should receive a moderate annual retainer as consulting engineers to the Yuchuanpu with special remuneration for all technical services rendered.
I pointed out to Mr. Liang that the prospectus of the C.K. loan, which was endorsed by the Chinese Minister in London, certainly gives bond-buyers the impression that the line is being built with the expert advice of Wolfe Barry and Son, and, as the Corporation had at that time no intimation that the Yuchuanpu was meditating any change in the system hitherto observed, urged that, as regards this line, at least, the appointment of Messrs. Barry might be agreed to, to avoid all possibility of questions being raised and in the interests of the railway itself. Mr. Liang declined to consent to this.
As they must (to conform to the requirements of the engineer-in-chief and the terms of the loan agreement) employ some experts as advisers on work such as the bridges, it should be possible for Mr. Liang to agree to my proposal. Of course if his reasons are as he has hinted to you, dissatisfaction with the work done by Barry...