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from its present terminus at the frontier of the New Territories along the coast-line of Mira Bay into Bias Bay: but such a project is not likely to cost much, and it would almost certainly be directly remunerative, while indirectly it 576 would also be profitable by bringing Bias Bay under easy administrative control from Canton and thus preventing its use as a base of operations by Chinese pirates.
5.
Mr. V.M.Stratton, acting Engineer-in-Chief of the Chinese Section of the Kowloon-Canton railway, has been trying to trace the survey, which was made by representatives of General Ch'ên Ch'iung-ming, of the proposed railway between Sheklung and Swatow, as well as the estimate of its cost made about 13years ago; but he has so far been unable to obtain them, for, when General Ch'en was driven out of Canton by General Lang Chi-kuang, ali plans and estimates were destroyed by the various parties who had an interest in the line, lest the new Government, which was holding a house to house search, might regard such documents as evidence of adherence to General Ch'en, which at that time was evidently most dangerous. The construction of a line from Swatow to join the Chinese Section of the Kowloon-Canton railway at Sheklung would, no doubt, benefit the British section as well as the Chinese section: and it is, therefore, a project thich the Hong Kong Government would gladly encourage. Nor do I see any reason why Messrs. S.Pearson and Son should not act as contractors for the construction of the line with funds furnished by the Hong Kong Government, if you approve of this being done, and if satisfactory arrangements can be made with the Chinese Government.
6.
The completion of the Canton-Hankow railway is an enterprise in which the Hong Kong Government is keenly interested, and which it would willingly assist; but I fear that it is too costly to be within the means of this Colony.
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