Directory_and_Chronicle_1932 — Page 436

384

CHINA

-Solun linc to Kokenmiao and of the Tsitsihar-Koshan line made good progress. The numerous lincs completed in 1929 continued to function in spite of serious financial difficulties and are rapidly opening up new districts, while the reduction of fares to labourers has had the effect of diverting this traffic to a certain extent from the South Manchuria Railway. Owing to the extremely low silver rate, the Peiping-Moukden Railway carried very much more freight than formerly, and a large amount of goods which would in ordinary times have been carried by the South Manchuria Railway was sent by the Chinese lines. Exceptionally heavy rains, however, during August severely damaged the tracks in various places, and for a time through traffic was completely suspended. A new branch line of the Moukden-Hailungcheng line is contemplated, to run from Chaoyangchen to Fusung via Hweinan and Mengkiang. Surveys have already been completed, and work will be put in hand in the spring. Judging by present developments, it should not be long. before the completion of a system of railways, including the junction of the Kirin-Changchun and Kirin-Tunhwa lines, is a fait accompli. When these two Chinese railways are connected with the three other lines, viz., the Kirin- Hailungcheng, the Moukden-Hailungcheng, and the Peiping-Moukden lines, they will together constitute a unified system, and the extension of this system to link up with the newly opened port of Hulutao may seriously complete with the South Manchuria Railway. Although of minor importance, it is inter- esting to note the completion of a small railway near Chungking for the transportation of coal as being the first in operation in Szechwan, a province noted for its conservative attitude and for its hitherto rooted objection to any suggestion of railway enterprise. Of the. Central lines communicating. with the Yangtze Valley little can be said save that for the greater part of the year the main systems were in the hands of the military, and funds were accordingly not forthcoming to purchase materials for the much-needed repairs to the road-beds. The question of the expansion of the Lung-Hai Railway by the provision of proper shipping facilities at Haichow is receiving serious attention, and, granted an era of peace and freedom from military activity, considerably development may be anticipated in the near future. Of those railways which were to a large extent unembarrassed by troop movements, the main obstacle confronting them has been the low silver exchange ruling, making it a matter of extreme difficulty to find sufficient funds to fulfil their obliga- tions to bondholders, let alone to provide rolling-stock, which is so urgently required for the development of passenger and goods traffic. The allocation by the British Government of a considerable portion of the Boxer Indemnity for the purchase of railway materials may be instrumental, it is hoped-to some small extent, at any rate, in dispelling the deadly apathy which at present surrounds railway enterprise in Central and Southern China, but while silver remains at a low ebb the outlook for Chinese railways cannot le considered promising.

ROADS.

So much valuable and interesting information has been assiduously col- lected during the last twelve months by the many persons interested in the Good Roads Movement in China, and more especially by the American Trade Commissioner, that to comprise in the pages of this report a detailed state- ment of existing and contemplated roads and highways would at the best appear but a crude attempt at plagiarism. In view of the great interest manifested in this subject and of the importance of road-making more than anything else as an essential to the development of the country, it is discouraging to note that, while municipal enterprise has not been backward in widening streets and opening up new thoroughfares, it is only in isolated instances that pro- gress in the construction of arterial highways can be reported. In the North road-building, in conjunction with railway expansion, is proceeding apace and is doing much to open up the agricultural and cattle-breeding districts of Manchuria and Eastern Mongolia. In the provinces of Chekiang and, to to a lesser degree, Kiangsu equal if not more important developments ale