Directory_and_Chronicle_1923 — Page 981

CANTON

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Ample means of communication exist between Canton and Hongkong, a dis- tance of 112 miles by railway and about 95 miles by water. Foreign steamers and a large number of native craft ply daily between the two ports, There is daily steam communication with Macao, and regular connection with Wuchow and West River ports, and with Shanghai, Newchwang, and Kwangchauwan. The steam- launch traffic under the Inland Steam Navigation Regulations has proved a great success, though since rules were enforced in December, 1901, compelling all Chi- nese launches to undergo inspection at the hands of an engineer appointed by the Customs before obtaining licences to ply, the number of launches is not so large as previously. There is a safe and commodious anchorage within 150 yards of the river wall at Shameen. Canton was connected by telegraph (an overland line) with Kow- loon in 1883, and another overland line was completed from Canton to Lungchau-fu, on the Kwangsi and Tonkin frontier, in June, 1884. The electric light and the tele- phone system have been introduced into a portion of the city. Through railway communication between Canton and Kowloon was established in October, 1911. The British section of the line extends from Kowloon Point to Lowu, a distance of 22 miles. The Chinese section, which has its terminus at Taishatow (East Gate), is 83 miles in length. A connection with the Canton-Hankow Railway has long been contem- plated. The survey by an American syndicate of a railway route to connect Canton with Hankow was made in 1899. Work upon the branch line from Canton to Samshui (about 30 miles) commenced in December, 1902, and a length of 10 miles, as far as Fatshan, was opened on November 15, 1903. The line was extended to Samshui the following year. The completion of the railway to Samshui brought the West River ports within easy distance of Canton, it being now possible to reach Wuchow, in Kwangsi, in less than 24 hours. That the advantages of rapid communication are appreciated may be gathered from the fact that about 3,000,000 of passengers a year are carried on this short line. There is very little freight traffic. The railway has practically killed the passenger traffic by steam launches to Fatshan, but an increase in the railway fares in 1908 revived it to some slight extent. Work on the grand trunk line was started at both ends by the American concessionaires, and a section, about 12 miles long, from Canton northward to Ko Tong Hü, was rapidly approaching completion when in October, 1904, on account of friction between the Chinese authorities and the con- structor of the railway, work was entirely stopped. Then it became known that Belgian capitalists had acquired extensive holdings in the American-China Development Com- pany, and, in consequence, a strong agitation was aroused among the Chinese aiming at the cancellation of the concession and the construction of the line with Chinese cupital only. The agitation resulted in the concession being cancelled by the Chinese Govern- ment, who paid to the American-China Development Company a sum of Gold $6,750,000 as compensation, including the cost of the works already completed. As soon as the concession was cancelled a movement was organised by the commercial men of the three provinces which the line will traverse to raise the necessary funds for its construction. A large sum of money was subscribed or promised by Chinese at home and abroad on condition that there would be no official control of the railway. This attitude on the part of the merchants naturally brought them into serious conflict with the provincial authorities, but they successfully urged their claims to freedom from official interference, and construction work has been proceeding on the Kwangtung sec- tion since 1907 under the direction of a Chinese engineer. The first section of the line -from Wongsha to Kongtsun, a distance of 17 miles, with three intermediate stations -was opened on July 17th, 1907, and in December, 1908, a further section to Yuntam, 44 miles from Canton, was opened. The railway is now completed as far as Shiukuan (Chiuchow), 140 miles from Canton. On the whole, the traffic is satisfactory, but the railway cannot be expected to pay well until it has been carried to Hankow or Shanghai, when it should be the most important and most profitable section of the railway system of China. The total length of the line in the Kwangtung Province will be 209 miles. Owing to the difficulties experienced in getting the Chinese shareholders to pay up the calls on their shares as they fell due, the Government resolved at the end of 1908 to raise a foreign loan. A Chinese-owned line from Canton to Whampoa and thence to Amoy has been projected and surveys have been made. The capital of the company is $40,000,000 but only about one-fifth has been paid up or promised. In accordance with stipulations in the Supplementary Commercial Treaty between Great Britain and China, concluded in 1902, the various barriers or artificial obstructions to navigation. in the Canton River were in 1905 partially removed, thus rendering the approaches to Canton safer and easier for shipping, and simplifying work in connection with the pro- posal to improve the accommodation for shipping in the harbour. Extensive wharves