1935-03-30 — Page 2

MAIL NEWS FROM CHINA

To Supervise Public *Services

Nanking.

The question of supervisien over various public utility enter- 7 rises operated by private in- terests in the country, which has heretofore been rather confused, was considered at`a joint meeting yesterday of representatives, of the Ministries of Communica! tions. Industry

and Railways

and the National Reconstruc-

Commission. *ion

The meet- ing Was called by order of the Executive Yuan

It was decided that the following organs should have jurisdiction over the different enterprises:—

Ministry of Communications— for telephone, tramway and avia- tion,

Ministry of Interior-for water- works;

Ministry of Industry—for gas- works:

Ministry of Railways—for long- distance omnibua service;

National Reconstruction Com- mission-for electric power works, The decision will be submitted to the next meeting of the Ex- ecutive Yuan for approval.-- Kuo Min.

EXPRESS OMNIBUS

of

The Administrative Bureau the Chengtu-Chahgking Highway is inaugurating an express omni- bus service between Chengtu, the provincial capital of Szechuan, and Chungking. Commercial centre of The province. The journey, which covers a distance of

400 miles, will then be made in one day for fare of $30.

some

KIANGSI HIGHWAY STATISTICS A total of over 4.500 kilometers of highways has been constructed In Klangsi province during the past year (1934), announced by Mr. Kung Hsueh Sul Provincial Commissioner of Reconstruction. Passengers have been carried over a distance "mileage of more than 2.600,000 1 (about 850,000 miles) while the revenue totalled over

$300,000.

SIAN-LANCHOW HIGHWAY

PROGRESS

'i

The laying of the roadbed of the Bian-Lanchow Highway can necting the provincial capitals of Bhensi and Kensu, has been com- pleted- under the direction of the " North-western branch of the Na- tional Economic Council. Fifteen omnibuses, purchased by the NE. C, have arrived in Bhanghai and will be transported to Sian short- 0 17. Work on the construction of the projected highway between Slan and Kingtsekuan, along the Shensi-Honan border, will started early in March.

be

NANKING-HANKOW LONG- DISTANCE TELEPHONE

According to Information from the Minis ry of Communications, le survey work on the Nanking- Hankow line of the Nine Province. Long-Distance Telephone System is now" proceeding pace. As soon 23 the survey is completed, instal- lation of wire poles along the line will be started under the supervi- slor. of he Mne Province Long- Disance Telephone Service Bureau, CHIENTANG RIVER STEFL BRIDGE

The first consignment of mater- Tals for the construction of the Big steel bridge across the Chien- tang River had arrived at Hang- chow from England. According to Mr. Lo Ying, Chief Engineer, batring": unforseen circumstances, construction work will be started in June and will be completed in May, 1938, according to schedule. CHANGCHOW-LUNGIEN RAIL- WAY PROJECTED

To facilitate communication in north-western Fukien, the Recon- struction Department of the Fu- den Provincial Government, has completed plans for the construc tion of a light way between Changelow and Lungyen. The Provincial Government has tele- graphed to the Ministry of Rall- ways, requesting the dispatch of a number of engineers to survey the route of the propected rail- way;

ALCOHOL FOR, OMNIBUSES The Ministry of Industry is in receipt of a telegram from Hunan Provincial Highway Bur- eau, suggesting the use of slenfiol, in place of gasoline, in the opéra

minibus ters

with the new fuel at

royed

periments on the Changsha-Heng- yang Highway, its use will be ex- tended to other highways. In this connection, it may be noted that the Hunan Provincial Government recently established an alcohol plant in Changsha to develop the industry in the province.

HIGHWAY STATISTICS

A total of 3,500 kilometers of inter-provincial highways have been constructed in Klangsu, Che- Kiang. Elangst, Anhui, Hupe, Hanan, Fukien and Honan. under the supervision of the National Economic Council during the past few years. Seventy thousand young trees have also been plant ed along the side-walks of the North-west trunk lines.

LARGE WATER LOCKS

Under the direction of the Hua!

Ho (River) Conservancy Board, work on the construction of the three large-scale water locks for shipping at Shaopo. Hualyin and Llulaschien. northern Kiangsu, is making good progress and will be completed this summer. In order to prevent food, the Board is also efecting Improvements to the dykes on the Western bank of the

CONSUMPTION OF ELECTRI-

CITY IN NANKING U

The amount of electricity con- "sumed in the Capital during the past year (1934) totalled 16,858,012 unite While the consumers totalled

25,585 households, according to Bgures released by the Nanking" Electric Works. Apart from the Eteady increase in the number of subscribers in the city, the Elec- tric Works are also extending their service to the suburbs. Since 1935 supply has been extended to Tang- shan and the Artillery School. With the installation ot new dynamo recently completed by the Siemens China Company, Shang- hal, the Electric Works has decid- ed to extend its current supply to Lungtan, 25 miles northeast "of Nanking, and Chuyung, 30 miles to the southeast. The new dyna- mo-is capable of producing twice as much power as the old one. Installation of wire poles along the roads to these two places is expected to be started shortly.

NEW HIGHWAY

Changshia.

Surveys having been completed, construction work on the pro- jected, Hunan-Szechuan Inter- Provincial Highway between Shenchow (Yuanling), western Eunan, and Kwelyang, provincial capital of Kwelchow, was started yesterday under the direction "of the Highway Bureau of the Pro- visional Headquarters of the Pre- sident of the Military Affairs C÷m- mission. A

General Ho Chien, Chairman of the Hunan Provincial Government inspected the engineering work at Shenchow yesterday.→→ Kuo Min.

BUS SERVICE OPENED

Hangchow.

Omnibus service on the highway linking Kuanhalwe in the dis- trict of Tzexi, with Tsao-o in Shangyu. 'notheastern: Chc- kang, was inaugurated yesterday. The road is 140 1 (about 47 miles) long-

Kua Mit

GOLD IN CZECHOS. LOVAKIA

Gold-mining operations at Kre manies in Slovakia have recently been placed on a more effective baris, which it is hoped will large- ly increase the present output of fine gold, amounting, we are informed, to 300 kg, anually. One of the old shafts, which has been. under water since the Napoleonic wars, has been drained and pre- pared for resumption of min- for while flew process

treats ment of the öfe has been institut, ed, by which, it is claimed, 96 per cent of the gold 18 place of the much lower tion hitherto

tracted.

the hamber of råžders and ment at Kremnies has cressed from 230 to:

HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 1935.

ENGINEERING AND

LAID-UP. TONNAGE

Shipowners Hold Discussion

The announcement by the Inter- national Shipping Conference that, as a result of the preliminary special conference which met in

London,

The details of the draft scheme, now undergoing examination by the shipowners associations of the countries represented at the con- ference, have not been published officially, but an indication of their character was given by Mr. Law- rence Holt, vice-chairman of the Liverpool Steamship Owners Asso.. ciation, at the close of the meet- ings, and certain particulars (which may or may not be in the original draft) have since appeared in for- eign shipping journals. In essen – tials, the scheme proposed a cen- tral fund, administered by an in- ternational committee, maintained by a compulsory levy on groES - freight earnings, and applied to compensate the owners of laid-up tornage; a scheme, in short, of un- At that time the volume of laid employment Insurance, the ships.

draft scheme had been prepared for the rationalisation of the world's seaborne, cargo-carrying industry, represents the arstfruits of discussions which originated rather more than two years ago, In November, 1932, the Committee of Exports of the International Chamber of Commerce suggested that the time was ripe for the ship Ping industry as a whole to in- stitute measures for its own better

by seeking organisation,

some means of adjusting the supply of tonnage to the fluctuating demand and thus to induce a return to re- munerative freight rates.

The Tanker-Fool

BUILDING

MACHINE TOOL INDUSTRY

Steady Home Demand

The record year of the motor industry and the improvement in the majority of other branches of the engineering industry combin- ed to create a steady home de- mand for machine tools. Exports

also improved over the extreme- ly low level of 1933, so that there- was a welcome recovery in activity throughout

the industry. All through the depression, the "ma- chine-tool industry was less se- verely affected than many other branches of engineering, and the course of activity was very differ- ent from the general experience. Thus, at the end of 1931, the re- vival of confidence and the stimu-

up tonnage had reached the un- which are working contributing to us to export trade on account of precedented total of about 15,000,- the support of those less fortunate. 000 tons--more than one-fifth of the world's shipping; and although a large proportion consisted of ships which, in any event, were un likely ever to go to sea again, the immobilised fleets contained so many comparatively modern ves- sels, ready to proceed to sea at short notice whenever freight rates improved by a few points or car- goes became slightly more plent!- ful, that the rates. could not rise far before an excess of tonnage pulled them down again..

:

"

Laid Up Shipping

In every year from 1924 to 1931 the total tonnage in the world showed an increase, until, at the end of June, 1931, the figure stood at 70,131,040 tons. The total of laid-up shipping had reached 5,000,000 tons in 1930, or about 7.2 per cent. "of the world total" avail- able, and a year later the propor- tion had become 15 per cent. In 1832, no less than 21.5 per cent.. were idle, although," by this tiine new construction had virtually ceased everywhere; but the total tonnage fell only slowly, there be ing but little demand for scrap, cwing to the general industrial de- pression.

In another twelye months the scrap market was re- viving, and although the laid-up tonnage still amounted to some 12,000,000 tons, the percentage had fallen to 17.7. At the end of June, 1934, scrapping having proceeded briskly during the preceding year, there remained laid up about 2000.000 tons, or 12.2 per cent. which has since been further re- duced.

As Mr. Holt expressed it, the scheme is based upon the motive. of economic attraction, freed from any element of compulsion other than the compulsory payment of contributions" in which it follows the precedent of the Tanker Pool, which was instituted at midnight on May 3, 1934, and has since func- ttoned, it is understood, with con- siderable satisfaction to the par- ticipants. This Pool, which is con- fined to tankers of 2,000 tons gross or over, is also known as the "Schlerwater scheme," having been initiated by Mr. H. T. Schierwater, a director of The United Molasses Company, Limited, and is operated by the International Tanker Own- ers' Association, registered for the purpose as a company limited by guarantee and having no share rapital.

The Committee of the Tanker Pool has power, to levy contribu- tions up to 8 per cent. of the gross freigh

opage charters,

but at the out fixed a tentative rate of 10 per cent, or 12 per cent; on time charters, these rates. being increased, in June to 15 per cent, and 18 per cent, respectively, at which levels they still remäh. From the fund thus obtained it was able to make an interim 'allow- ance of 18. per gross registered ton per month to laid-up tonnage, and it is hoped that, when the accounts are made up, this may be doubled, "Although the Schierwater plan did not lack critics at its inception, it is understood to be working satis- factorily and to be producing the desired results.

THE ENGINEER AND THE

METALLURGIST

of expansiofi, which normally ex- ists between the two materials was a source of difficulty. The co- operation of metallurgists was se- cured and, as a result of experi- ment, a nickel-chromium-man- ganese austenitic steel was pro- duced, having not only the neces- sary mechanical properties, but also a coefficient of expansion

That engineering progresg" de- pends largely on complete colla- boration between the engineer and the metallurgisi, and that great possibilities would be opened." up as a result of further syste- matic research in metallurgy. were among the points emphasis ed by Mr. A. J. Grant, in the course of his presidential address, delivered before the Sheffield So-Identical with that of the alumin-

ciety of Engineer sand' Metallur gista... The engineering knowledge of physical laws, could, at times, he stated, see the mechnical pro- gress possible-provided a suitable metal having the necessary me- chantal and physical properties, was available, and the more com pletely the engineer and the phy- slclat disclosed their dependence upon certain directions of me- tallurgical development, the soon- er would the needs be met.

A Source of Difficulty' While complete collaboration could easily be accepted as an ab- stract idea, it was unfortunately still far from being acknowledged in practice. The electrical engin- eer who designed rotor, forgings having a shape suitable for hiể requirements, but the very worst. possible - from the metallurgist's and steelmaker's point of vie was a case in point. The fulles conadence should exist between The designer" of a new mad or structure and those responsible. to him, for the supply of bl terials, An interesting example this character had recently come to his notice. An aero-engine de signer winded to Flace, in Juxta- position in an sizině, a steet kne an aluminium alloy, but the dis- similarity between the comclenta

um alloy. Hence, the engineer's problem was solved. The past achievements of metallurgists had undoubtedly been considerable, but the future possibilities, as fur ther knowledge of the structure of matter became available, were almost as great."

An Amazing Alloy- Only 18 months ago, it had been shown that if 30 per cent of nic- Yel- and 12 per cent, of aluminium be added to steel, and alloy was ob- tained the magnetic properties of which greatly surpassed those of any material previously available. This was amazing because it had never entered into the minds of anyone that a high proportion of nickel or a high proportion of aluminium, or indeed both, to- gether, would have any such ‚elect.

MINERAL DEPOSITS

ANGSU

Hauchow. mineral deposits have

the depreciation of the pound re- sulted in a sharp increase in sales, the peak being reached with a record export trade for all time in the third quarter of 1932. This Improvement was not, however, maintained, but was followed, by a second depression of an inten- alty approximately equal to that of 1931. The fact that the pre- sent improvement is based on a" more general revival Holds out good prospects for its continu- ance, in spite of the fact that ex- ports are still very depressed.

Exports Low'

Both the volume 'and value af international exports remained at a very low level" during 1934, the

only country apart from Great

Britain to show any substantial improvement being the United States. The stronger competitive

position of the United States due to the devaluation of the dollar, in fact, is still a potential source of danger to British exports, "though, in 1934 the Increase in United States exports appears to bave been entirely at the expense of Germany, whose ascendancy in the export market has been ser- lously impaired. The danger of increased exports from the United States is, however, particularly strong from the point of view of this country, owing to the rap- prochement concluded in 1933 between America and Russia, al- though the advantages due to the devaluation of the dollar are in large measure being offset by in- creased wages and shorter work- Ing hours, introduced as the result of the code.

Better Outlook

In view of economic difficulties in Germany and the United Sta- tes, the coming year should pre-- sent good opportunities to the British manufacturers to improve their position in the expora mar ket. Of equal importanté is that the British industry should take advantage of the protection al- ready afforded to it, to secure that part of the home market which has previously been supplied by imports. This would represent in- "creased trade to the extent of some £1,500,000. per annum. With improved results in other bran- ches of engineering, the outlook in the home market is undoubted- ly better than for some years past. It is for the British manufacturer to see that the increased demand 13 not supplied by a further rise in importe

LARGE ROAD-SIDE THERMOMETER

What is reputed to be one of the largest if not the largest thermometer in the world has re- cently been erected on the factory of Messrs Air Ducts, Limited, Great West-road, Brentford, Mid- dlesex. The thermometer is cir cutar iny form, ft diameter, Instead of the usual vertical-tube: type and has a face similar to that of a clock, the hands being substituted for a pointer which Indicates the temperature at any time of the day. We understand than it is visible from Kew Bridge, about a mile away.

Heichow

Unfoll Chippin

output of

mics and ap

k

MODERN METHODS OF

CULTIVATION

The Rotary Plough Scores

That revolutionary method of soll cultivation, known as "Gyro- tillage, is making, great strides among agriculturists in

many parts of the world. In. Great Britain alone more than 2,000, farmers have already been con- verted to its use, and up to the end last year over 50,000 acreS oi plough-land had been cultiva- ed entirely by this method.

The machines are manufactur- ed by John Fowler & Co. (Leeds)

Fine Instrument Agriculturists who have used/ this machine are unanimous In Its praise, and many have gone so far as to state that they con sider it to be the finest imple ment for land, cultivation that has ever been produced. Concer... ning the breaking up of per manent pasture, one leading far mer sald that he had never, grown a heavier crop of potatoes or one of better quality, them that raised on old grass fand that had been broken up in this man

дет.

Lid and were invented by Mr. NO.: Storey, who experimented for 18 years' before, ha succeeded in perfecting this revolutionary cultivator. By means of opposite- ly rotating tillers mounted at the rear of a crawler-type tractor," the soll is completely pulverised in one operation. In this processing weeds and rubbish, as it al

of disintegration, the soll has, air literally beaten into it down to the full working depth. which can be varied from 8 to 20 inches, according to requirements.

Another practical farmer, in enumerating the many advant ages of the machine, in addition, to that of deep cultivation, dea cribed it as splendid for destroy

ways left these on the top of the and for the sun to do the rest The fact, too, that it breaks up the whole field without leaving wheel tracks or even corners to dig was another point he found in Its favour."

Various agriculturists have sup 'ported

contention that

their

This deep and thorough pul- verisation and aeration of the soll-which can only be obtained by this method of tillage-this method of land cultivation is vides the farmer with a number of "important advantages. «The drainage of the land, for instance, is considerably Improved, al- though the soll does not dry out, as was the cae when successive operations had to be performed - by the old methods of cultivation. "Gyrotilled" land is sweeter and Warmer than ordinary plough, land and, thanks to the fact that the soil has been able to retain Its moisture, better germination of the seed, improved growth of crop and large plelds are all natural corollaries.

HETAL

MANUFACTURER:

superior to any other with figures relating to crop yields. The re- suite of a sugar beet crop on a3 farm in the East of England will serve as a case in point Beres on land cultivated in the ordinary? manner the beet averaged 1205) tons to the acre, with a sugar) percentage of 16.2. In the same feld, however, the land that had been "Gyrotllled" produced: 13.9) tons of beet to the tire with zi sugar percentage of 17.5, which in this latter case the pulling was done without the hep of lifting implement.

WINDOWS

MADE IN HONGKONG

FROM IMPORTED BRITISH

MATERIAL

95% BRITISH.

THE TAI YING STEEL WINDOW MFG, CO,

FELEPHONE : 27489.

Orriar— 89/85, OHUN YONG STREET, FACTORY NORTH-POINT HONG KONG,

THE TAIKOO DOCKYARD & ENGINEERING COMPANY OF HONGKONG, LIMITED.

BUILDERS OF ALL CLASSSES OF SHIPS. BUILDERS OF RECIPROCATING STEAM ENGINES. BUILDERS OF MARINE AND LAND BOILERS. BUILDERS OF TURBINE MACHINERY

Under License From Messrs Larsons. BUILDERS OF DIESEL ENGINES

Under Special License From Messrs Suiter Bros., Winterthur

Licensed To Manufacture Lanz Perlit Iron, Specially Suitable For Internal Combustion Engine Working Parts.

DOCK & SLIPWAYS.

FOR DOCKING VERY LARGE AS WELL AS SMALLER VESSELS

TOTAL ON ANYTIDES

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REPAIRS AND EXTENSIVE

WELDING, BOTH ELECTRICAL AND OXY ACETYLENE SKILFULLY AND PROMETLY CARRIED OUT.

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HONG KONG, CHINA & JAPAN