July 10, 1609.]
SHIPPING NÕTES.
The P. and O. steamer Assaya, 3.459 tons and drawing 22ft. 2in. passed through the strea Channel, Shanghai, on the 28th ult. She was the largest vessel which had passed through since H.M.S Astræa (3,460 tons and drawing 23ft.) passed through on May 10th. The Assaye left Woosung about 6.30 p.m. and was berthed alongside the China Merchants' Eastern wharf at 8.15 p.m. She passed up without lightering cargo or transferring mails at Woosung.
The Toyo Kisen Kaisha declares a loss of Y.500,000 for the half year ending with June. This loss comes on the top of one of Y 800,000, for
the previous half year. Though undoubtedly discouraging, such a state of affairs is not considered surprising in view of the dullness prevailing throughout the shipping world. In order to re-adjust internal affairs and enhance the Company's credit, it is proposed to increase the number of directors by two and that of auditors by one. President Asano retains his position.
f
*
The accounts of the Shell" Transport and Trading Co. for 1908 show a credit to the profit and loss account of £710,551. Deducting man- agement, legal and other expenses (£7,557), there remains £702,994 to be carried to the balance-sheet. From this amount preference and interim dividends have already been paid The directors do not deem it necessary to appro- priate any sum to reserve, which remains at £720,000, with £1' 0,000 at the credit of reserve fund. There remains a balance of £322,994. from which the directors recommend a further and final dividend of 10 per cent. payable on July 5 (making 20 per cent. for the year), leav. ing £192, 994 to be carried. Reports received from the Anglo-Saxon Petrolem Company, Limited, and the Bataafsche Petroleum Maats- chappij justify the payment on account of this year of an interim dividend of 5 per cent. (i.e., at the rate of 10 per cent. per annum), which will also be made on July 5.
*
"
Already the P. & O. Company have formulated their Autumn arrangement in connection with their trunk line services to Eastern ports. The Bombay service, it is announced, will be chiefly supplied by the new steamships of the "M class and the ustralian services wholly by these vessels which are the most modern examples of the Company's shipbuilding enterprise. There are to be supplementary departures to Bombay on October 6th and November 3rd, respectively. of 7,00-ton steamers carrying one class of passenger only, at intermediate fares equivalent
to the second saloon rates of the mail steamers. This is a concession which Anglo-Indians will not fail to appreciate. We learn that an improved fortnightly service to Ceylon, China and Japan by intermediate steamers, without transhipment, is another feature of the P. and O.
programme.
A probable amalgamation of the Hamburg. America Line and the Norddeutsche Lloyd has of late been the general topic of conversation, and although the directorships of both companies have issued denials of the rumour, the matter continues to receive a good deal of attention in the German press Contradicting the project, a Hamburg paper, which is in close relations with the Hamburg-American Line, says the sphere of interests of the two companies is of a much too different nature to be merged into one concern, and it would be impossible to con. centrate the management of such enterprises in one hand. To this has to be added the inveterate antagonism between the cities of Hamburg and Bremen. tion would not be likely to result in any sub- stantial reduction of expenses.
*
*
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
repudiated liability. So that the unfortunate | consignee has to take all the responsibility and risk, for the ships will overcarry his goods if they cannot work at night, and the Government Wharves simply tell him to land them elsewhere if he does not care to abide by their regulations. | Very few firms are in a position to handle all their consignments themselves, and what is practically a deadlock has arisen. According to the views of the merchants, the liability should be accepted by the shipping companies, for neither the Government Wharves nor the consignees have anything to gain through cargo being landed at night and both would be Perfectly willing to receive it next morning. whereas the ship is naturally anxious to get rid of it in order to obtain quick despatch and proceed upon her voyage.
On her last voyage to Seattle the Minnosota's pert tail shaft broke when she was about 500 miles off Cape Flattery. The information was received in Seattle by wireless, the message say- ing that the only result of the accident would be to delay her arrival in port a few hours. She arrived in port, however, almost on schedule time and had it not been for the mishap would have made a record run across the Pacific. She steamed. according to the Chief Engineer, George E. Allen, an average of 13 knots after learing Yokohama May 21 and was 1.700 miles out, more than half-way home, May 29, when at 5 o'clock in the moraing, the break in the shaft occurred. The cause of the mishap is unknown, but is thought to be a flaw in the shaft. Prompt action on the part of the engineers prevented any trouble resulting from the break. although the part of the shaft attached to the propeller slipped cut 16 feet and would have dropped had it not been at ouce secured with heary chains. The Minnosota was to follow the battleship Oregon in the Puget Sound Navy Yard drydock. If it was found that no other damage was done, the shaft could be repaired in five days and the vessel leave on schedule time. June 19. The Minnesota com- pleted the voyage after the mishap at the rate of about 10 knots,
four or
THE
CANTON HANKOW
RAILWAY
A Special Correspondent of the N... Daily News writing from Hongkong on the 23rdult. says:--Within the last week I have travelled from Lokchong, thirty miles from the Huuan border, to Canton, thus covering the entire area in which the Canton-Haukow Railway Company is at work. By river the distance is estimated at about 250 miles, but when the railroad is completed this will be reduced to
about 190 miles.
The leading party of surveyors consists of an American, Mr. Williams, who took part in the survey made some six years ago for the original American concessionaires, a Frenchman, M. Baby, and a Japanese. They are at present prospecting near Yongke, some ten miles south of Lokchong, and it is expected that in a few weeks' time they will have completed the sur-
rey to Lokchong. Travelling by river I found it impossible to estimate how much cutting and tunnelling may bo required, but those who know the road do not anticipate serious difficul- ties here. The titanic toil will come as the railway has to be made across "The Range" to "unan, where two lofty ranges of hills lie in the track.
POINTS IN PASSING.
Between Lokchong and Shiuchow the line passes some rich coal-fields. At Yangke and also enormous at Laiplutao, some twenty miles south, the natives work the mineral entirely on the surface and turn out a fine, soft coal of serviceable An amalgama-quality. We have used it for some years and although it is rather a slow burning coal it gives off an intense heat.
There is a demand at Penang for a properly qonstituted Port Trust. A question of great importance to the future of the port of Penang. Bay's the Penang Gazette, is at this moment agitating the shipping and mercantile com- munity of the Settlement. The management of the Government Wharres recently issued circular disclaiming all and any liability for damage to cargo landed after nightfall, and the agents of one of the principal lines of freight steamers have followed the example and also
At Shinchow, 153 miles by rail to Canton, it was generally supposed that the station would he built on the narrow neck of land which joins the "City of the Peninsula " to the mainland. The engineers, however, have wisely decided to place the main station on the south of the Namshung River a little below the pagoda. This situation is not so near the city, but it has the advantage of unlimited space for siding ac- commodation, waiting rooms and all the require. ments of a station. It will also be convenient if the projected extension to Namshung ever matures
41
Moreover, it can easily be reached by boat from both extremities of the city, while it also stands between the compound of the Berlin Mission and that of the English Wesleyan Mission.
The work of construction has not yet begun at Shiuchow, but above Yingtak we met three construction parties engaged in olearing the track and fixing the grade prior to letting the contract.
At Mongfukong, 100 miles from Canton by rail, a nest, wooden bungalow has been erected for the staff, but above this the work is being temporarily directed from houseboats. Below Yingtak, ninety-three miles from Canton, most of the contracts have been let and work is proceeding. 1 he tunnel at Taimiso is now completely cut through, but the three tunnels on the Blind Boy's Pass, the longest of which is 300 feet, are proceeding slowly.
A BUSY SCENE.
the
I have never seen Yinktak look so busy as when I reached it last week. The usual ship- ping thronged the river, the railway motor-launch flitted about with a speed unknown" before in these parts, while the steam-launch which, in conjunction with the train, is credited with making it possible to reach Canton in one day, gave an air of business to the place. I ventured the journey, but the trip up the small stream from the North River to Yantam, present terminus, took three hours. It was a stiff tussle getting our baggage transferred to the train by women, who fought for the work and their wage, and our belongings suffered in consequence. We arrived, a sweating, breath- * less crowd only to be told that the last train had just gone. This meant putting up at a native inn, but as it was a new one built last year there was not much to grumble at. The rail- way employees lodged next door and I was surprised to learn that they were moving en masse to the Canton terminus to take the place of that staff there whose turn it was to spend the next month in Yuntam. This monthly exchange from town to country struck me as very equitable, but the reason why I could not learn.
EFFECT OF FLOODS.
In a former letter I advised you that in con- sequence of the high floods of last year the embankments were all being raised and the line in places deflected to a surer foundation at the base of the hills. The floods of this year were not abnormal, but for six miles about Yuntam and in many places nearer Canton they have scoured away tons of material from the perma- nent way. In some places shrubs and trees have been planted in order to bind the banking together, but a contractor who travelled with me
said the line would never be secure unless a cemented facing of stone were erected at Section six; and I felt inclined to agree with him. The Company has faced the banks in places with loose stone, but the water has undermined it and much of the bank has collapsed.
Between Yuntam and Canton no great en- gineering feats have been necessary. The biggest bridge would be about 200 feet wide. A few heavy cuttings have been encountered, but the bulk of the work has been to raise the line above the padd y-fields and to bridge the numerous irrigation canals. Two trains a day make the double journey, taking three hours to cover the distance of forty-four miles. There are thirteen stations en route, but outside the environs of Canton none of the places were of great size or importance. The fare for first, second and third-class is respectively $1.95, $1.15 and 65
cents.
All the materials for bridges, rails, plates, etc., and also the rolling stock have come from the United States, so I expect that the two large bridges, one 500 feet wide at Shiuchow and one 800 feet wide at Yingtak, will also be supplied
from the same source.
A Chinese recently returned from America was arrested on a West River steamer on Wednesday with a Winchester rifle and 448 rounds of ammunition in his possession. The riffe, which had been taken to pieces, was found concealed in a bundle of vermicelli, while the ammunition was discovered in two iron buckets,
Defendant was charged before M. J. R. Wood at the Magistracy yesterday and fined $250, the alternative being three months' imprisonment,
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.