The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1894-08-25
TRADES UNIONS IN CHINA.
They Are Strong and Exercise Great
Power

When the first railroad in China
was built, writes Frank G. Carpenter
the company had to move very slowly
in order to overcome the opposition
OF the people. 1t is hard to under
stand the real power Of the masses
in this country. The government
seems TO be autocratic, but there is
no place where the voice OF the peo-
pie has more weight, and China is to
large extent democratic. The
country is divided up into classes
and the power OF organization is we'll
understood. Every trade, from the
beggar 10 the banker, has its union,
ana when the line was first planned
the carriers guild made great out
cry against 1t. This kept it back for
some time, and the mining company
dug n canal at cost of half a mil
lion dollars along the line Of the rail-
road, and for some years hauled their
coal TO the sea in barges by means OF
steam tugs. They next built road
for ears to be pulled by mules, maxi
ing il strong enough for heavy en-
gines, and gradually put on cars and
locomotives. The first locomotive
used was one made at the works here
and called "The Rocket OF China"
1t was patched up out Of old pieces
OF iron and machinery gathered from
different parts OF the country. The
boiler was that OF stationary en-
CINE which had been imported years
before from England The wheels
were American, and other parts OF it
were stray pieces from different parts
OF Europe. | saw this engine in the
shop here Yesterday. II is kept as
curiosity, but il has carried freight
cars for more than 100, 900 miles and
did the whole work of the line for one
year. When the road was first built
no freight was carried, except the
coal belonging TO the company, in
order TO keep the carriers in good
humor, but now all classes OF goods
are taken. and the freight rates be-
tween Tien-Tsin and Tong Shan, a
distance OF nearly 100 miles, are eight
and one-half American cents n picul
OF 1913 pounds for irst-class freight
and half that for second-class freight.
| Another instance OF the power OF
the people in China was seen when
the road extended from the seacoast
at Tong ku, whore IL first stopped, to
Tien-Tsin. IL came up on the oppo-
site side OF the river and Ii Hung
Chang natural Y wanted IL to go right
into the city OF Tien-Tsin. A bridge
was begun and vast amount OF
money was spent in the sinking OF
the foundations and in importing the
iron work. When the structure was
almost completed the boatmcn who
carry on traffic up and down the
Peiho organized IA movement against
IL, and their voice was SO strong that
Ii Hung Chang directed that the
work be stopped and the station be
! placed on the other side OF the river,
and there IL remains to-day monu-
ment OF the power OF the masses In
China. You can almost throw
stone across the river at this point,
and IL you will imagine n city OF the
size OF Philadelphia, with IA trade
amounting to perhaps hundred mil
lions OF dollars IA year, connected with
the seacoast with only one railroad,
and bordered on one side by river
not IA wide as the Schuylkill, separ-
ated from it's railroad station by the
strike OF lot Of American cab
drivers, you will get the situation OF
Tien-Tsin with regard to its railroad
station. The viceroy has to travel
three miles from his official palace to
the depot, and when took the train
yesterday / was hauled in jinriksha
to the ferry and after crossing the
river my baggage had to be carried
by coolies several blocks before the
ata,iop uoa ronrhab