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takings of the through traffic are divided
between the Chinese and British sections.
This ratio takes account of the much heavier
capital cost per mile of the British section,
due to its more difficult terrain on the lines
of the home practice under the Railway Clearing House Regulation No.45 and on that basis is by no means over-generous to the British section.
Nevertheless it has been the subject of constant
complaints from the management of the Chinese
section, who press for a division of receipts on
a mileage basis, or at least something
approximating to that basis, the actual mileage
being 89 to 22.
2. The claims for demurrage in 1923/25
cover the periods of suspension of through traffic
and are connected with those suspensions.
But
there were periods of suspension when the whole
line was nevertheless under one control and the
British rolling stock could have been returned to the British section in safety. Moreover it was
ascertained from time to time during the suspensions that British wagons were actually
being used by the Chinese management on various
parts of their section and the depreciation
arising from this use as well as from neglect of
maintenance during their detention, has fallen on
the British section. As however the Chinese
section lacks even the funds necessary to maintain
its
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