88
Hong Kong and Sham Chun. From January lat to October 31st there were 473 clearances to Hong Kong and 439 arrivals from Hong Kong.
Junks also trade between Sham Chun and Tai Ping, Shek Ki, Shek Lung, Macao, Canton, Un Long (12 tons), Nam Tau, Chau Kan and Tai O. Freight charged ia, rice and beans 6 cents a picul, remainder 15 cents per picul. The chief trade is done in beans, salt fish, coarse medicines, and wheat flour. 700 cases per month of kerosine arrive.
Owing to the Chinese Customs regulations the export of rice is forbidden, but nevertheless a large amount is smuggled on to boats in the Sham Chun River and Deep Bay and taken to Hong Kong.
EASTERN ROUTE.
One passage boat runs between Sha Tin and Tai Po; average number of pas- sengers daily, 15 each way.
Three small junks carry goods between Hong Kong and Tai Po market.
Launch trade between Tide Cove and Sha U Chung and other places on Mirs Bay might be developed. Recently a launch started running between Sha Tin, Mi Tin, Sha U Chung, Tip Fuk and Nam On; in a little time the average number of passengers amounted to 35, but on account of police court proceedings for excess number of passengers this launch has just been taken off the run.
At present a steamer runs between Hong Kong and Sha U Chung and places on Mirs Bay. The average number of passengers between Hong Kong and Sha U Chung is 175 each way. The fare has now been increased to 60 cents, and if pas- sengers can get to Tide Cove easily, there is an opening for launch traffic between Tide Cove and Mirs Bay. This route would avoid rough water round the coast.
Enclosure E in No. 59.
TRAFFIC ON THE PRINCIPAL ROADS IN THE NEW TERRITORY.
Between Tun Mun district and Un Long, daily average of 250. Between Un Long and San Tin, daily average of 550.
The majority of persons going to the Un Long market come from the Ping Shan,
Ha Tsun, Shap Pat Heung, Pat Heung and Tun Mun sub-districts.
By the Liu Pok Ferry over the Sham Chun River on December 11th (a small market day) the number of persons crossing was:--with goods 701, without goods 378. On December 12th (not a market day) the number was: -with goods 243, without goods 554.
By the Lo Fu Ferry over the Sham Chun River, the numbers were:-December 11th with goods 425, without goods 961; and December 12th with goods 225, with- out goods 570.
On the road between Sham Chun and Sha Tau Kok the numbers were:→→ December 11th with goods 521, without goods 1,302; and December 12 with goods 158, without goods 550.
The market days at Sham Chun, Un Long, and Tai Po are every third day. he bulk of the goods taken into Chinese territory was paddy (the second crop having been just harvested) and the goods brought into British territory were various. Rice is not permitted to be exported from Chinese territory, so the New Territory_buy Hong Kong rice for their own consumption. Over the Sha Tin Gap, between Kow. loon City and Sha Tin, 280 persons were counted in one day carrying goods and 320 without goods. There is a small fish trade between Tide Cove and Kowloon City.
Few persons use the Government Tai Po Road to Kowloon other than brush- wood carriers and cattle dealers. The daily average number of cattle using this road between Tai Po and Yaumati is about 48. The cattle come chiefly from Kun Lau Hu and Ping Shan (Chinese territory) market and in smaller numbers from Pak Mong Fa and Sham Chun districts.
On the road between Tai Po and Fan Ling, on market days about 680 persons pass with goods, and 770 without goods. On non-market days about half this number.
4676
89
No. 60.
GOVERNOR SIR M. NATHAN to MR. LYTTELTON.
(Confidential.)
(Received February 13, 1905.)
SIR,
Government House, Hong Kong, January 12, 1905. IN continuation of my confidential despatch of the 11th instant* and in con- firmation of my telegram of yesterday's datet on the subject of the Kowloon-Canton Railway, I have the honour to inform you that Mr. A. J. Barry, one of the Consulting Engineers to the British and China Corporation, on his way from England to North China, called on me yesterday morning with a letter of introduction from Mr. W. Keswick and that I discussed with him various points connected with the pro- posed line.
2. He informed me generally of the result of the recent conferences in London between representatives of the Colonial Office and of the Corporation, of which I had had previous unofficial information from Mr. G. V. Fiddes, C.B., of your Department, and told me that the principal question now at issue was whether the division of profits between the British and Chinese sections of the line should include also division of the receipts for local traffic on the respective sections, or whether these receipts should be retained by the sections for which they were collected. that the rocky and mountainous country which made the British section far more I pointed out difficult to construct must also result in the receipts for local traffic on it being much ́ below the receipts on the Chinese section, and that the treatment of the line as a whole for the division of profits would only be a fair return for the support given to the line as a whole by the co-operation of the Hong Kong Government, without which support, Mr. Barry stated, it would not be possible for the Corporation to raise the money for the construction of the Chinese section. I told him that I should not recommend other method of sharing the profits, and he stated that he would
any communicate this to his Directors. I am under the impression that he was quite prepared to find my opinion fixed on this point.
3. I also informed him that, from my calculations, the local traffic alone on the British section would be sufficient to pay interest and sinking fund, running and maintenance expenses for that section, and I gave him the general figures on which I based this view. He considered that my estimate of expenditure was more than ample, but that with regard to receipts, I had assumed a somewhat high goods rate. He was much surprised at the considerable local traffic anticipated, and told me that the directors of the Corporation thought that there would be scarcely any traffic of this nature.
4. We discussed the relative advantages of crossing the Kowloon hills by a low level tunnel or by high level tunnels and viaducts, and he was of my opinion that the former method would probably be more economical in construction and certainly more so as regards running and maintenance. The main difficulty connected with it was the time the tunnel would take to pierce. On a rough estimate this might be as much as three years, but much would depend on the exact line chosen after careful examination by experts.
I have, &c.,
4889
No. 61.
M. NATHAN,
Governor, &c.
THE BRITISH AND CHINESE CORPORATION, LIMITED, to COLONIAL OFFICE.
SIR,
(Received February 14, 1905.)
[Answered by No. 62.]
Canton-Kowloon Railway.
3, Lombard Street, London, E.C., February 13, 1905.
I BEG leave to hand you, for submission to Mr. Lyttelton, drafts ‡ dated 9th
• No. 59.
18885
↑ No. 48.
‡ Not reprinted,
M
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
TLC.O. 882
6 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO