CO129-345 - Public Offices & Foreign Office - 1907 — Page 294

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being 26 and the other 24 years of age.

CHANGSHA.

On May 28th the Provincial Treasurer and the

Hunan Railway Company urged the people of the prov-

ince in a joint appeal to take up the Company's

shares, so that the Hunan section should be proceed-

ed with without further delay. The cost of the line

(400 miles) was estimated to be over $30,000,000.

Preference shares to the amount of $6,000,000 (in-

cluding the money already raised by the Chamber of

Commerce) would be offered to the public up to De-

cember 4th. Besides the general dividend one-

fifth of the receipts would be appropriated to thèse

shares. The fact that foreigners were in no way

interested in the enterprise was emphasized and it

was added that if a foreign engineer was employed to

survey the line a Chinese engineer would be associa-

ted with him. The public were also assured of the

certain financial success of the undertaking and the

appreciation of the shares.

The appeal hes produced no effect. The offi

cial director and his colleagues are hoping to raise

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a large part of the capital in Shanghai and the

Straits Settlements.

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