1946-1947 — Page 13

12

Section were in similar case. Division Sheets up to August 1946 were only accepted by the Chinese Section in March 1947, and unless this rate of progress can be improved the final settlement for half year as at 31st. December 1946, will not be possible until July or August 1947. In March 1947, the Canton Office was checking the statement of accounts as between the two Sections for the month of July, 1946.

41. In November 1946, the Chinese Section asked for Traffic Earnings to be kept apart from debits and credits arising from engine haulage and supply of stores etc. This was done through the medium of an Imprest Account which covers all such transactions outside Traffic Earnings. The Imprest Account has operated successfully and makes for clarity in the cash relations between the two Sections.

42.

The last full year of through running was 1938, but no comparison with that or later years would be of any practical value in view of post-war inflation in wages, cost of stores and operating expenses generally.

43.

MECHANICAL WORKSHOPS.

On re-occupation in September 1945, it was found that nearly all the really serviceable pre-war mechanical equip- ment had been removed, leaving behind only those types of machines which in the opinion of the Japanese were probably too old or not worth-while removing.

44. Rolling stock found at Kowloon at this period consisted of one 4-6-4 tank wagon, one. Canton-Hankow Railway 0-8-0 tender locomotive, 17 carriages both British and Chinese, and 82 wagons, British and Chinese. All the Chinese rolling stock has since been returned. There remains a considerable quantity, however, of British rolling stock on the Canton- Hankow Railway which has not yet been received. Early in 1946, the Canton-Hankow Railway returned to the British Section one 4-6-4 main line engine, one shunting locomotive, and the British Section 65-ton locomotive break-down crane. In addition, two UNRRA 2-8-2 locomotives out of a total of six which arrived in the Colony were specially assigned to the British Section by UNRRA for the purposes of moving UNRRA/CNRRA supplies to Canton for the interior.

45. During the period under review major repairs have been carried out to two locomotives, 17 carriages and 6 wagons. The work of repair on our own wagons was held up due to track shortage and other facilities which were diverted for the assembly of 1261 UNRRA wagons and the putting into traffic of 65 UNRRA locomotives under our supervision for the Chinese Government Railways. The alternative would have been to congest the whole Railway area with knocked-down wagon material of no value as transport units.