CO129-328 - Governor Nathan - 1905 [1-6] — Page 32

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places in Deep Bay yields another 50 passengers both ways.

The Sham Chun launch traffic to and from Hongkong averages daily some 150 passengers both ways. This of itself is equivalent to over 100,000 single passages in the year.

18.

It is difficult to make any estimate from the

figures given in Enclosure I relating to the traffic along the

principal roads in the New Territory of the amount of this traffic

that might be carried by the railway, following either of the

alternative routes. It is interesting however to note that con- siderably over 1/2 a million people cross the ferries between the New Territories and China in the course of the year; over a third

of a million use the road North of Tai Po which would be generally

followed by the line along the Eastroute; nearly a quarter of a

-million the road across the hills under which the line along that

route would pass; and over a quarter of a million the roads to and I

from Un Long followed by the line along the West route.

19.

The result of an examination of the enclosures to

this despatch which have been prepared by Mr. C. Mcl. Messer,

Assistant Land Officer for the New Territories, is to show that

with regard to existing traffic it is not very material which

route the railway follows, the trade with Sham Chun just beyond

the frontier which is equally served by both routes being much

greater than that of either of the local markets at Tai Po and

Un Long. There is no evidence to show that the much greater

mileage of the West route would be compensated for by a correspond-

ing increase in the traffic likely to be carried immediately or in

the future. The 10 miles (between the 7th. and 17th. on the #ap)

of the Western route which present difficulties of construction

would be practically unprofitable. A better method of getting

direct access to the Un Long trade than by following the Best

route