6
become a commercial concern is still enjoying equally the advantage of aid from Great Britain. How is it, then, that they do not fulfil the undertaking entered into by your Excellency and the other Provincial authorities ? The Canton merchants having started operations are engaging Belgian and American engineers, but make no mention of the British engineers that they ought to be employing. There might be some excuse if they had actually tried to engage them and had failed owing to their wanting too high salaries.
Although Canton is not under your Excellency's jurisdiction and you may have no actual say in the matter, yet, when the loan was made in the first instance, the whole affair was carried out by you on your sole authority. Your Excellency has, there- fore, a good right to question the acts and proffer advice to the railway Company. Otherwise, not only will your Excellency suffer a loss of prestige as well as all the other high officials concerned, but I also shall suffer in the same way. For this reason I am again addressing your Excelleney, and have, &c.,
(No. 65.) Sir.
(Signed)
Inclosure 11 in No. 1.
Consul-General Fraser to Sir J. Jordan,
E. H. FRASER.
Hankow, October 30, 1906. IN continuation of my despatch No. 64 of yesterday, I have the honour to report my conversation with Mr. Chan, specially sent to explain the terms on which Viceroy Chang wishes to engage through Mr. Kinder an engineer for the Hupei and Hunan section of the Canton-Hankow Railway.
Mr. Chan explained that sufficient funds were now in hand to justify proceeding with the short Hupei section, that the Viceroy felt bound to employ a Japanese as well as a British engineer, and that therefore he spoke in his note (inclosed in my preceding despatch) of an assistant engineer. There would be no chief engineer, his Excelleney himself deciding auy points on which the two engineers might be unable to agree.
I interposed that we never proposed that a British chief engineer would be independent of his Excellency, whose technical adviser he would be, and with whom the decision would always lie between alternative methods of carrying out his Excellency's wishes. Two assistants without a head engineer seemed an anomalous arrangement; why not call them both consulting engineers or superintending engineers or some such style?
Mr. Chan explained that the obstacle was that the Viceroy already had a Railway Adviser, a Japanese, at a monthly salary of 1,000 dollars-a fact which, together with the need for economy, precluded his offering a salary of more than 700 dollars or 800 dollars a-month to the British engineer. Mr. Kinder would, his Excellency supposed, hardly care to accept such a post, but might arrange for one of his assistants formerly suggested-Mr. Cox or Mr. Tackey-to come to the Viceroy. The salary would be inclusive of everything except actual working expenses.
I reminded Mr. Chan of Mr. Kinder's strong feeling that construction must follow closely on survey, and that the engineer engaged for the one should be intrusted with the other work, not only in Hupei but in Hunan.
The Secretary said he understood that the assurance might be given as to Hupei, and that the survey would include Hunan, for construction in which province the engineer would probably be engaged also.
After repeating that the assurances mentioned would undoubtedly have great weight in determining Mr. Kinder's action, I said I would write to him and report to you.
I wrote the same evening to Mr. Kinder and, as the next day the Secretary sent me a note stating that according to Mr. Wang, whom I have always found inclined to cut down the Viceroy's terms, the engineer's present engagement would be limited to the survey, and the engagement for the construction could not be decided till after the survey was completed, I reported this modification and the authority given for it to you by telegraph yesterday,
Being in hope of seeing his Excellency Chang very shortly, I have not written
7
again to Mr. Kinder, whose making the engagement for construction likewise a condition of detailing an engineer, might have a good effect.
I have, &c.
(No. 67.) Sir,
(Signed)
Inclosure 12 in No. 1.
Consul-General Fraser to Sir J. Jordan.
E. H. FRASER.
Hankow, November 8, 1906. IN continuation of my despatch No. 65 of the 30th October, I have the honour to forward a copy of Mr. Kinder's reply to my letter conveying the Viceroy Chang's wishes, and of my letter to the Viceroy's Secretary, who, on the day the reply reached me, had written asking for news of Mr. Kiuder's reception of his Excelleney's proposal.
His Excellency Chang may take Mr. Kinder's inability to meet his wishes ag freeing him from any need for employing other than Japanese; but, as he has intrusted the Hupei section of the main fiue to Szechuan to engineers of that nationality, it would, I submit, be more equitable were his Excellency to apportion the short section of the southern line to British engineers only. His having a Japanese railway adviser, however, probably prevents his doing this.
M. Casenave called on me yesterday, and stated that, as his settlement of the Shih- nan Fu case two years ago had put him on good terms with the Viceroy, he had been reluctant to postpone visiting his Excellency and proposing an Anglo-French loan for this section, which requires 4,000,000 dollars of Government capital in addition to the 2,000,000 dollars which the public are asked to subscribe for, and of which one-third has been taken up.
Without touching on the Nan-ch'ang case, I told M. Casenave that, in my opinion, his Excellency Chang would require to be assured of the acquiescence of the Peking Boards before he would enter into loan negotiations with any one.
I have, &c. (Signed) E. H. FRASER.
My dear Mr. Fraser,
Inclosure 13 in No. 1.
Mr. C. Kinder to Consul-General Fraser.
Imperial Chinese Railways, Engineer-in-Chief's Office, Tongshan, November 1, 1906.
THANKS for yours of 26th ultimo. I fear I cannot induce any really suitable Mr. Cox has gone on leave for one year, mau on my staff to accept the terms offered. and Mr. Tuckey already gets 1,2001. per annum, and will require more to go south, even if he is offered a fixed appointment of Engineer-in-chief.
Nobody cares to leave a good berth here for a doubtful position directly under Chinese officials; it is only men who have nothing to lose who will accept such, and, as a rule, they are not the kind you want. The fact is that the whole idea is most unbusinesslike, and too thoroughly Chinese to be a success or bring any satisfaction to anybody. Two engineers of different nationalities, and of equal rank, on the same job would lead to no end of difficulties, especially with no technical chief to apply to when opinions diverge, as they constantly must do. It is the old story, the Chinese wish to pretend they are doing the work, and that the engineers are mere foremen under them; nowadays this is quite understood, and no professional men worthy of the name are obtainable under such conditions, quite apart from the pay offered, which is good enough for assistant engineer of some eight years' experience in China.
very much regret being unable to help you, as I also realize the advantages of procuring an able and honest Englishman for the work in question.
As all our skilled Chinese assistants have been removed to new lines, I am now getting young men from home to take their places, so we really have nobody to spare at the present moment. Applications for English engineers has also been made from I have advised them to apply Canton end, as they are unable to secure suitable men.
to T. J. Bourne, M.I.C.E., 10, Victoria Street, London, who was one of my best men,
D [2368 i--1]
384
Page 390Page 391
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.