The Wichita daily eagle., 1896-07-17
Full OF SHAME" CLEAN HOUSE WITH
SA Ol. 10

mis-. I shall be absent from Japan for
about six months, making the entire
circuit of the globe on the trip.
l landed in Vancouver June 1, and
have come here by way of st. Paul
Minneapolis and Milwaukee, spending
a week in the last named city, where
interested some of the large brewers in
the Osaka exhibition.
Mr.. Araki also CAV some information
regarding the railroads of Japan. He
said:
The total mileage of japanese rail-
ways now in operation is about $500
miles, of which about 3,10O miles is own
ed by the government and 200 miles
by twenty-nine private railway COM
panies. These private companies have
a paid up capital of sS4 10000
During the past year charters were
granted to twenty-siX new companies
for the construction of an aggregate OF
of 1,600 miles of road. These new com.
panies have a capital of So, ,O00, goo.
The tendency in Japan is to relin>
qufsh the government control of the
roads now owned by it, and huge COM
pany with a capital of s100. 900 900, has
been formed for the purpose of bUying g
the roads owned by the government to-
gether with those projected or in pro-
cess Of construction.
The government has for the last fif-
teen years been liberal in encouraging
the building of railroads. The first
charter was granted to a private COM
pany in 1881. The company merely
furni shed the funds and did not even
survey the route for the road. which
was built entirely by the government
l.
ready for traffic
The company received a guarantee of
per cent on the capital invested for a
lines now pay about 9 per cent per an
mum.
Up to this time nearly all the rail
ways have been built under the direc-
tion of Englishmen, who placed the
orders for rolling stock. etc, with Eng
lish firms. Now, however, the Japa-
nese are showing a strong disposition
TO dispense with foreign advisers, and
the time is not far distant when they
viii manage and build their railways
themselves exclusively, so the American
firms will have a fair chance TO com
pete with the Englishmen. In Eng
land the leading firms order from de-
signs made by their own STAFF OF eng
neers and the manufacturers have moth
ing to do with the preparation OF de-
signs.
In America. on the other hand, the
companies first state their requirements
as to the strength required of bridge
work. etc, and the manufacturers then
send in competitive projects. based on
their own designs. This will lead the
japanese. many OF whom have been
educated in the United States, to fail
back on this American system. obtain
ing both bridge and design from the
anafacturer. thus transferring the
business to American market.
our large firms are also showing more
enterprise then thesr English cOmpesi-
tors in keeping representatives in ia
pen. Slowly but surely Americans
are gaining ground in the competition
for japanese trade in various lines.
A recent test between English and
American locomotives resulted in 70
vor Of the latter. The English bc9-
motive hauled 165 tons with an expendi-
ture OF 3,lSo pounds Of coal. while ,ts
American competitor hauled e04 tons
with an expenditure OF 3.2is pounds Of
coal
There are in Toxic and Kobe repair
shops capable OF making all needed re-
pairs 10 the rolling stock OF the Japa-
neSe roads. and these shops can also
build neariy 40 passenger coaches and
$50 freight cars yearly There are :. ts0e
n-eleEaployed N tfsese railroad shops.