RAILWAYS IN CHINA

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8339, 28 January 1913, Page 11

RAILWAYS IN CHINA

The disturbed state of affairs in China has interfered with railway development during the past year or two, and has also diverted the attention of tho people of the West from the progress which has been made. The latest Foreign Office report points out that during 1911 three events in the progress of railway constructure had to be recorded. Firstly, the Canton-Kowloon railway was opened to traffic for the whole of its length. AVe referred to The opening of tho line at the time, and pointed out that it was the beginning of a very important railway development, which might, before long, bring Hongkong within fourteen days of London. The management of the railway, which has been opened, is complicated by the fact that part of it is in British and part in Chinese territory, bnt meantime arrangements have been made between the two administrations to facilitate through traffic. The second point to lie noted is that the reconstruction by the Japanese of the railway from Mukden to Autung was completed and tho line opened to traffic, so that trains could run through, over tho Yalu bridge, to Seoul and Fusan. This is a most important development, as Seoul and Fusan are now directly connected with Japan by railway and a short channel passage, so that Tokio is now in direct communication not only with Manchuria, and from thence to Europe, hut also with Peking, and with tho railways radiating from that place. The third point to be noted is that through communication, with the exception of the Yellow River Crossing, was established between Tientsin and Pukow (in the Yangtao, opposite Nanking). The military operations of a year ago.kept the lino from being used for ordinary traffic, and there has been considerable delay with the permanent structures for tho bridges, rendering temporary structures necessary, but now that things are getting into a more settled condition, the lino is gradually being got into good working order. Some progress has been made with branch linos in Manchuria (under Japanese auspices) and in Kwangtung province (by a private Chinese company), but on account of tho disturbances in the country, little or no progress has been made with several other lines, all of which wore, nominally at least, under construction, with Chinese capital, during tho year. It is certain, however, that these and other more ambitious projects will bo carried out in the near future, as the Chinese are now fully alive to the importance of railways to their country. The subject of control, however, is not yet settled. The struggle which has been goinpr on for years between the Central Government and the provincial governments for tho control of railways in China seemed to have terminated in a compromise to tho former, in May nf last year, when an edict was issued that all trunk lines should become the property of the State only branch lines continuing to be built by private companies. The triumph of the policy centralisation was, however, short-lived. Individual, local, and other vested interests are very powerful in China, and the new policy was one of the factors causing the revolution. It is too early yet to say what policy will bo adopted, but it is quite certain that the new Government intends to carry out railway construction on a large scale.— ‘■Engineering.’’