- 17.
47
(mileage 299) which, although of inferior quality to Ping
Shiang, should be capable of development on a commercial
scale.
The ton-mile rate for mineral products on
individual lines in China ranges from 3/4 of a cent on the
Tientsin-Pukow to 6 cents on the Nanchang -Kiukiang, the
average for all lines being 2 cents. These variations
reflect both the extent of the competition from alternative
transportation mediums and the length of the haul. Rates
per ton-mile must be low for long hauls, otherwise the
commodity could not afford to move, High rates such as are
charged by the Nanchang -Kiukiang Railway connote a
comparatively high priced product, a transportation monopoly,
and a short haul, whilst very low rates such as are charged
by the Tientsin-Pukow Railway connote a low priced product,
a heavy volume of traffic, intense competition, a long haul,
and the ability to obtain a suitable return haul. The
Hupeh-Hunan Railway, which comprises the Northern Section
of the Canton-Hankow Line from Wuchang to Chuchow, and the
branch line from Chuchow to Ping Shiang, carried during the
last statistical year 156,000 tons of mineral products an
average distance of 156 miles at a rate of 24 cents per ton
mile. Ping Shi ang coal was responsible for the major
portion of this tonnage and calculations from the available
statistics show that approximately 60% of the coal was
railed to Changsha a distance of 90 miles, 10% to Chuchow
a distance of 60 miles, and 30% to uchang a distance of
320 miles. The influence of the alternative river-lake
route from Chuchow and Changsha to Hankow is most marked
and it would appear that Ping Shiang coal will always move
to Hankow by the rail-cum-river route when the conditions
are suitable for water-borne transportation and while the
freight rate by rail remains at its present level. The