CO129-334 - Governor Nathan - 1906 [5-7] — Page 71

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and Kwong Tung merchants in the various porte in the Southern Ocean

(1.e. Straits Settlerents, Australia and other places) to take shares.

But, later on, as Viceroy Shum was in a hurry to get this done, H.b.

Cheung took the responsibility upon himself of saying that the money

could be advanced although the shares had not yet been taken up. The

necessary cost of building the railway, too, was to be temporarily

borne by the Authorities on condition that the money (for making Wham-

poa a treaty port and the construction of the railway thus expended

should be repaid when the shares were taken up. When Cheung had settled

the above with Viceroy Shum in the conference, he returned to Chiu Chau,

his native place, to see about the funds, and as soon as he gets enough

funde he will come to Canton to commence work. He will begin with the

section between Canton and hempos and with all work in connection with

the opening of the latter as a treaty port and the construction of the

embankment. In the meantime he will telegraph to the various towns in

the Southern Ocean to immediately take up sheres in the Canton-Anov

Railway, which is a main line, so that he can continuously work section

after section.

We further hear that part of the railway between Amoy and Chiu

Chau is considered to be the main line for the Fokier Province and the

funds for its construction are to be raised from the Foxien people and

that the funds for building the Kwong Tung main line between Canton

and Chiu Chau are to be raised from the Kwong Tung merchants. The

scheme is first to commence kork on the section from Centor to Whampoa

and them on those passing through Tsang Shine, Tung Kun, Shek Lung, Pok Lo, Roi Fung, and Luk Pung, to Chiu Chau and, at the same time, work

will be commenced from Ancy to Chiu Chau where a large railway station

shall be built, being a station for the use of both provinces. All

districts along which the railway passes, shall also have stations for

the convenience of passengers and goods.

(Editor of the She Men Foi- Railways are closely connected with

treaty ports. By this movement, H.F. Cheung may be said to have caught

boli of the very cluc. It is hoped that the railway shares will be

baked up as eagerly as those of the Canton-Hankow Railway. The only