CO129-371 - Public Offices - 1910 — Page 100

[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government

CHINA RAILWAYS.

6

CONFIDENTIAL.

[218]

No. 1.

99

2765

REC

Bro 28 JAN 10

[January 3.]

SECTION 4.

Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received January 3, 1910.)

(No. 465. Confidential.) Sir,

Peking, December 15, 1909.

I HAVE the honour to enclose copy of a despatch of the 4th December from His Majesty's consul at Nanking from which it will be seen that the removal of Taotai Low, regarding whom, as mentioned in my despatch No. 442 of the 2nd December, reports were current, has taken place, and that a Mr. Liu Shu-p'ing is now managing director of the south section of the en-tsin--Pukow Railway.

The private letter from Mr. Tuckey, enclosed in Mr. Goffe's despatch, bears out information from other sources, all of which tends to show that the south section is progressing quite favourably, and that the terms of the Tien-tsin-Pukow contract, given suitable agents, may be worked with adequate satisfaction to the interests concerned.

I have, &c.

Enclosure in No. 1.

J. N. JORDAN,

Confidential.)

Consul Goffe to Sir J. Jordun.

(No. 35. Sir,

Nanking, December 4, 1909. I HAVE the honour to report that Mr. Low, the managing director of the southern section of the Tien-tsin-Pukow Railway, has been removed from his position, and is to be replaced by a Mr. Liu, who arrived here yesterday and takes over charge to-day. Mr. Liu, who speaks no English and has no knowledge of engineering, has more than once been sent here by the Peking authorities to report on the working of the office. The new co-director is Mr. Wang, until recently acting managing director of the Shanghae- Nanking Railway, who, however, is not expected here for some little time. The previous co-director, Wang, remains in charge of the land office.

The ostensible reason for Mr. Low's dismissal is his failure to perfect his organisa- tion. Mr. Tuckey has frequently complained of the lack of cashiers up-country; and although it is usual in China to have one cashier to each engineer's section of the line. there have so far been only four cashiers allotted to the whole twenty-two engineers. The result has been greatly to delay the work, owing to the lack of facilities for paying the coolies, and it is hoped that this defect will now be remedied.

Mr. Tuckey has been over the line three or four times during the past few months, and is fairly satisfied with the progress of the work. There are now three locomotives engaged in hauling waggons on the 15 miles of track already laid, and Mr. Tuckey thinks that, in the absence of any undue interference, the whole section should be open by the end of 1911.

The new system, whereby the managing director may not, without sanction, incur an expenditure exceeding 500 taels, naturally does not conduce to rapid work, but it has, so far, not given ground for serious complaint. Several large indents have recently been approved by Peking, and there are at present funds in hand sufficient for the daily expenditure. Mr. Low would not allow the engineers to enter on any work involving expenditure without his sanction, and this has caused delay; it is hoped, however, that the new managing director will withdraw this restriction and place more confidence in the judgment and discretion of the engineering staff.

I have, &c.

HERBERT GOFFE.

[2581 c-4]