THE TRANSCASPIAN RAILWAY

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2459, 14 April 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE TRANSCASPIAN RAILWAY

Thk Odessa correspondent of the Daily News writes:—lt would appear to bo a moot question whether the Trauscaspian Ilailroad was built solely and entirely as a strategic military line, or, as was gonerally believed, with the twofold object of combining an important stritogefio undertaking with the long-desired develop, ment of Russian trade in Eastern and Central Asia. At all events there exists at present an extraordinary amount of friction iu the administration of the system directly opposed to tho commercial expansion anticipated. This undesirable state of things has prevailed since Ihoopening of tho first Trauscaspian Section to Kizil-Arvat, and with tho present completion of the lino to tho Ainmi D.uia commercial grievances havo now reached their climax. M. Debours, a member of the Baku Chamber of Commerce, and officially representing that body, was recently commissioned to traverse the whole length of the system, with the double object of opening up commercial relations with the ditferent districts and provinces through which the line passes, and of obtaining the necessary trading facilities from the .sectional railway administrations. i\l. Debours has now returned, and .submitted lo tlio committee of the Baku Chamber his report, from which I briefly ([note— 1 The Trauscaspian railway system under the existing conditions of its administration absolutely defeats the prime objects of Russian commerce in general, and of Central Asiatic commerce in particular. The most astonishing thing with which the mercantile eiitivpiriii'ur here first finds himself confronted is the extraordinary rigorous military rvi/im-" under which the whole railway system of Transcaspiu is throughout controlled, and the imdisgubed contempt with which commercial men and commercial matters are treated by the line oflieial.-:. The consignors of goods and wares come at oversstep into collision with tlio grossly ignorant and supercilious quasi-military OJlieers of the administration. Merchants and cjinmerei.il agent;) in the despatch or receipt of goods are obstructed, browbeaten and insulted ; and whenever complainants have the temerity to appeal lo Iho administration they are summarily dismissed. The prohibitively high larilFs convincingly proves that the administration utterly ignores the fact that; one of the chief ob.iee.ts of Iho Tr.-.ris-Cispian system was lo foster .'iud;faoilitate the development of Unburn commerce in Central Asia,. At, present the camel caravans am competing with marked succe.-s against the railway. Moreover, it i.s highly desirablu that the Caspian trading port should remain in tho protected and sheltered harbour at Ussimada and not he removed, as is contemplated, to the exposed situation of Kiaiisuovodsk.' The Chamber of Commerce, at WiUu have drawn up and fnrwarded tn the Senate, a protocol embodying tho complaints and views of M. D'hiiui-s with their own. Any exleu-ive commercial trallie. over the system, or any satisfactory commercial relations willi the present .idmini-tration, they say, have been impossible. Russian cnmnii'iiH.ier.'i in Asia, do not, appear as yet to be convinced of tho natural sequence of commerce following the (lag; or, if this convict ion be not Wanting, then probably they combine with it a lino sense of humour iu com; filing commerce to contend iu its inarch willi dillicull ics n.'latively as gieat ns those which originally beset the flag."