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who feel as been a satisfaction in to-day's pro- ceedings as do those of the executive stuff of this Railway who have seen the work through from its inception. I refer to both Chinese and Foreigners of all departments, and there are many present who have been with us from the beginning and who have given loyal and splendid service, and it is by the work of such, often carried out under dif ficulties, that a satisfactory completion of this undertaking has been attained. Difficulties have been overcome such as are usual on all railway work and perhaps especially in China, and not much fuss has been made. Thanks to the sup- port of H.E. Wei Han, our late Managing Director, who in the past and early years of our work gave us such ahle direction, and latterly of His Honour Mr. Chao, heavy engineering works have been accomplished and the result is what we see to-day. The survey commenced in August of 1907. Land purchase commenced early in 1908 and construction of works may be taken to date frem June of 1908. We have therefore taken 3 years and 3 months to build this Rail- way, or, adding the first few months of survey, just a little over 4 years altogether. I do not claim that there is much if any credit atteched to this length of time. One would have liked to say 3 years instead of 4 years. Things slowly in China; but I do claim that the work has been pushed forward continuously, energetically and the different districts and successfully on that many physical and engineering difficulties have been overcome. It generally falls to the lot of an Engineer-in-Chief to defend the oost of the Railway he builds, but this Railway is in the happy position of having been spared orificism, and therefore I can approach the subject in a light spirit. In September 1908, T produced, as a result of the detailed survey, an estimate of cost and length of time probably required to complete this line; the former in round figures was 123 million dollars, including administration charges, police, cost of laud, &c., but excluding the interest and service on the Loan, and the time I named was years and 10 months, the date for completion being given as June. 1911. Wo have taken fow months longer to complete the line, bat the cost will be within the limits of my estimate. This, gentlemen, is, I believe, & satisfactory condition of things, but it has been attained only by the active and loyal help of all departments. Some of the heaviest work bas been carried out by engineers unfortunately not present to-day: May I mention Mr. Boothby who had charge of the East River Bridge excellent section, Mr. Fraser, who made an location of the line from Mile 50 to Mile 89, mostly through difficult and hilly country. Mr. Moore is still with us fortunately. He has successively had charge of No. 1 and No. 3 Districts and has done excellent work on each. I must also specially mention Mr. Thompson, who is so proud of his locomotive and rolling stook; Mr. Hall, our active Chief Accountant, and Mr. Fischer, whose store department has always been kept in good order. I wish I had time to give moro references to our staff, but time forbids. But we have been fortunate in both Foreign and Chinese staff and that means every. thing for economy and efficiency. Until recent. ly the idea was generally held that the Chinese Section went through level paddy fields and had a few bridges. This is not quite a correct de, scription. The hilly portions of country passed through present interesting features and some of the cuttings have given considerable trouble. Our ruling grade is 1 in 150, of which we have
I over 17 miles. 56 per cent. of our total length is on grade and 44 per cent. on level. Curvature of the line is 24 per cent, the total length. The earthwork is on the whole what is termed "heavy." It has cost $20,700 per mile, which
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includes all charges for rock, earth, protection works, The voluma is équal to H bank of oor type section 11 feet high throughout for 89 miles. Sufficient has been already stated and published with regard to the large bridges. We have 46 girder bridges with a clear opening of 4,868 feet and 39 arched bridges over 5 feet span with an opening of 546 feet. There are an unusual number of culverts under 5 feet, namely, 140. with an opening of 544 feet. The total opening there. fore provided by these bridges, arched bridges and culverts is 5,958 feet or 67 feet, per mile. Is addition there are 265 barrel or pipe drains with an opening of 7 square feet per mile. As an instance of the comparative amount of large bridge work on the Chinese Section, I may say that the total weight of steel work in girders and foundations is 4,725 tons, or 53 tons per mile while that used on the Shanghai-Nanking Rail- way amounted to 93 tons per mile only. "There are 27 stations, 13 of which are halts or semi- permanent stations until truffie justifies their re- construction on more permanent lines. We have watering stations and 3 running sheds under construction and shortly
be finished with workshops and such other equip- ment as is essential for present needs. "The track and ballasting, I think, will be admitted to be up to a first class standard; there are 89.04 miles of main line and 1146 miles of
and sidings
loops, making 100 miles
altogether of single track. A dopôt has been provided at Tungshan for the eventual junction with the Yueh Han Railway and sufficient laud with sidings and sbeds are ready but the junction station will not be under- taken until the loop line passing to the North of the city is under construction. Finishing touches are here and there required but I have every confidence that our Chinese Section will prove itself equal to what is expected of it, al first to deal satisfactorily with the important traffic between Hongkong and Cauton and later on as a link in the great Southern Trunk Line (Applause).
to
Hon. Mr. Ross-Gentlemen, The toast which stands in my name," Success to Rail- way Enterprise in China"-is one which I experience the greatest pleasure in proposing.- It is one, however, which covers such a very wide field, that I fear in the time at my disposal, I can do it but scant justice. Although the com- mencement of Railway outerprise is a matter of comparatively recent date, it is now nearly half a century since the first attempt was made to introduce this method of rapid transit and com- munication.
The attempt to which I refer was made in 1863, during the final stages of the Taiping Rebellion,--when a petition was presented by a Syndicate of foreign merchants to Li Hung haug- then Governor of Soochow for a concession to construct a line of Railway between Shanghai and Soochow The reply to that petition was curious-for while no serious objection was apparently enter- tained to employing a large number of foreign- ers as soldiers, or to even placing a Chinese Army under the command of a British Military Officer-Li Hung Chang nevertheless feared that the employment of a few foreign railway Engineers in the same district would upset the people and lead to complications and disorder. This, gentlemen, is an extraordinary fact which, if regarded purely from a foreigner's standpoint might lead one to infer that railway Engineers are a dangerous body of men compared to whom the rank and file of the "Ever Victorious Army" were but harmless babes! This apparent dread of railways and foreign engineers, continued for some twenty years after the incident to which I have just alluded,—the conservative principles of the Chinese Government and people being opposed to any opening up of the
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