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country. During these 20 years, however, at least one attempt was made to introduce rail- ways, and I have no doubt all of you know the tale of the more or less surreptitiously construct- ed "Woosung Road,"--and of its ultimate fate. The few weeks, however, in the year 1875, during which this ill-fated railway was permitted to run, were not altogether wasted, for the railway's usefulness and its possibilities had evidently impressed the mind of a gentleman tomed Tong King Sing,-a Cantonese by birth, then resident in Shanghai, who a few years later successfully initiated the "Kaiping Tram- way" to transport coal from the Mines of which he was the Managing Director. The difficulties encountered by the Kaiping Tramway" at its outset, aud its subsequent development into a great railway system,-have had a very marked influence on railway enterprise in China,-for though inexperienced management and disaster during its early stages caused it long act as a deterrent to other similar enter- prises, yet its eventual magnificent success stimulated every Province in China to endear- our to copy the example set them by that large- minded Cantonese, Tong King Sing. I do not wish to weary you with details of the history of this Kaiping Tramway "-as to most of you these ure well known, I will therefore merely remind you that after being taken over by a Chinese Joint Stock Company it struggled on for some years. until chaotic management and political obstraction brought this Company to the end of its resources. The Imperial Government then stepped in. and the management was summarily transferred to su Imperial Railway Administration, the rights and interests of shareholders being altogether ignored. For some years the line was run in this manner, and considerable extensions were made and contemplated, but the results of its working were so unsatisfactory, and its debts so numerous, that in 1898 a foreign loan was raised in order that its finances might be placed on a sound basis. As a result of this loan, certain important changes were made in the system of accounts and management, aud im. mediately the receipts increased by leaps and bounds. Notwithstanding the setkack and Rebellion, damage caused by the Boxer
the line has ever since proved a valuable asset for the Imperial Government, and inoid- entally also a paying investment for the old China Railway Co's shareholders, whose shares have now, I understand, been officially recognis- ed. The profits of this railway in recent years bave proved so great, that in addition to provid- ing large sums towards the cost of constructing the Peking-Kalgan line, the surplus remaining has gone far towards paying for the clothing and equipment of tho new foreign drilled Northern Army. Profits such as these, gentlemen, show how greatly the resources of the Imperial Gor- ernment may be increased by properly adminis tered and efficiently constructed railways, but unfortunately they also led the people of China to imagine that every railway must be a veritable gold mine, with the result that a patriotic cry was raised. Railway Bureaus were established in every Province, and the disastrous policy was forced on the Central Government of permitting the Provinces to attempt to build, finance and control their respective lines of railway, directing to that end the patriotisma and energies of the local gentry and merchants. Whether the movement was purely patriotic, or whether it arose from an overpowering desire to share in the anticipated profits of the proposed railways,-- are matters with which I am not here concerned,-suffico it to say that experience has shown that no pro- gross satisfactory from a national point of view is attainable by these methods, and instead of the orderly and systematic development;
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of the country, they are calculata à produce interminable discussion, disorder and delay. Thus far, gentlemen, I have briefly traced an outline of what may be regarded as ; purely Chinese Railway Enterprise in this Empire. I have not specially referred to such great works as the Chinese Eastern, or the German Shantung Railways, as these, though of great benefit to the country, are of political origin. Other lines, such as the Peking-Hankow and the Shanghai-Nauking Railways have heen constructed under what may be described as more or less
"concession terms "-terms which though possibly beneficial to China, are never- theless cordially disliked, and it is not surprising therefore that strenuous and not altogether unsuccessful efforts have been made to upset and chauge them. The Canton-Kox- loon Railway, which the Governments of China and Hongkong are to day opening to traffic, bas in-so-far as the Chinese section is concerned, been constructed by means of a British loan, the terms and conditions of which, I make bold to say are in every respect fair as between borrower and lender. The line has been built without friction, and despite the high cost of land, has been completed within the estimate,-a feat of which the past and present Managing Direotors. the Engineer-in-Chief, and the entire Staff may justly feel proud. Gentlemen, ju 1909, on the occasion of the laying of the Foundation Stone of the Railway Stution at Tai Sha Tou, I quoted a statement made nearly 50 years ago by that very distin- guished Engineer, Sir Macdonald Stephenson, to the effect that "Railway development was China's greatest need," and I foreshadowed a few of the inestimable benefi's which this great Empire might derive from efficient and rapid inter-communication between her Provinces and Cities. What about half a century ago was merely a "great need" has to-day become an imperative necessity, which I am glad to say is How clearly recognised by all the leading Statesinen of the Empire, and it is pleasing to note that no less than three great trunk lines (Tientsin-Pakow, Clanton- Hankow, and Hankow-Szechues) are now in active progress. For the present, however, China cannot construct her Railways withou the assistance of foreign capital, and this can only be obtained subject to an Imperial guaran- tee. I think, therefore, that the recent decision of the Imperial Government that all the im- portant Trunk Lines shall be State-owned, is a wise and far-seeing policy, and though it may now cost considerable sums to fully satisfy the claims of the various local and provincial companies, yet in the end the money will be well spent, as China will be saved from evils which would result from lack of central control. and from the friction which would inevitably arise when local consider- ations clashed with Imperial requirements, For years to come also. China must look mainly to foreign Engineers to superintend the con struction of her railways and in this connection, I would with all respect venture to remind her, that the better the class of Engineer employed so much the better will the experience be of the numerous young Chinese Engineers now being trained.-and to whom in the not distant future she must look to control and carry these great enterprises. Gentlemen, the programme of Railway construction which the Imperial Gov. ernment has undertaken is an ambitious one, which will cost immense sums and take many years to complete. China's eredit however, is coed, and, provided these undertakings are State- owned and controlled, no difficulty should be experienced in borrowing what is required on easy terms. She has, however, many difficult probleies to overcome ere these projected rail. ways can achieve results such as bave been
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