The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-02-04

terest to Americans, regarding the i'm
provements being made In Slam by Amer
lean capitalists. He says:
There is an Spotlight dncandescenD
central station in Bangkok, which was
purchased In 1880 from the English Brush
company by Siamese company for the
purpose of Lighting the kings palace and
for the use of the public. The plant was
not operated until 1894, as the company
met with financial difficulties, and finally
1t was turned over to l.. e. Bennett, an
American engineer, under twenty-year
exclusive franchise to furnish light for
the the government and the pub ic. Since
that time 1t has been operated fairy well
by an American syndicate.
'This plant, which is at present valued
at 900 in United States currency. has
recently been sold to Danish company
called the Siam Electricity company. lin
tied, and will be extended and improved.
Most OF the supplies for these works have
been purchased In Europe, but very re-
Gently several orders have been placed In
America
NThirty-fve years ago there, were no
streets In Bangkok. All traffic was car
ried on by boats, and the numerous ca
nails still compete with the street traffic.
AS late as ten years ago there were no
more than nine miles of paved streets In
the whole city. Today there are over
forty-seven miles, and many new streets
are being opened UP each year, on which
the old iron and wooden bridges are being
replaced by modern steel bridges. The
king himself builds one steel bridge each
year, out Of his private funds, as gift
to the city. and this Is opened to the pub
lie. with some. ceremony on his birthday.
The government imports from England
every year considerable quantities of
bridge materials.
"Seventy-ffye miles Of canals traverse
the city of Bangkok. large percentage
of which has been added in recent years.
The tendency, however, Is to make streets
instead.
Outside the city and extending all over
the vast alluvial plain of Southern Slam
are great number Of canals. hundreds
of miles In extent, which serve as the
highways Of the country. These canals
have all been dug within the last fifty
years, and up to ten years ago We're the
only means of communication, except by
paths through the Jungle. Thsy serve To
connect the three great tidal rivers which
flow In somewhat parallel courses to the
sea: but, as. result Of the action Of the
tides. they are rapidly sitting up and be-
coming useless.
"Ten years ago the Slam Canal, Land
and Irrigation company was formed
through the encouragement Of tho king.
This company received large concessions
of land and had for Its purpose to dig
canals for irrigation, as well as highways
and to convert large tracts Of low land
into paddy or rice fields The company is
now opening up two large blocks Of land
On the left side OF the Menam. a canal Of
sixteen meters (dfty-two and one-Ealf
feet wide and thirty-five miles long con-
meets the two rivers. Menam Chow Phya
and; Menam Naehon Nayok Several
miles south of this canal. and running
parallel to 1t. is another main canal. and
about the same distance north and run
ming In the. same direction Is thtt d,
twelve meters (thirty-nine. feetl wide.
These three main canals furnish the cAtsf
water supply Of this system AT inter
walls Of mile and half branch canals
are to be cut at right angles to the main
channels. About half of this work has
been completed, and a tract Of waste
land twenty-five by thirty-five miles In
extent is being brought under cultivation
Ten years ago this was swamp and
Jungle inhabited only by the elephant
and other wild beasts. Today It Is oceu-
pied by over 10000 people, and its prod
uct furnishes one of the richest revenues
of the country.
''On the opposite bank Of the Menam Is
another canal system, between the Me-
nam Choy Phya and the Menam Nachon
Chaisee The work on the main canal Is
fairly well begun.
sat present the work Is delayed on ac-
count of some questions relating to the
concessions. When these difficulties are
settled, as they are expected to be In the
near future, the company, which has
now only four machfnes-one dredge and
three excavators--at work, will imme-
diately increase IT'S force and finish the
task in four or five years
According to the agreements by which
the concessions were granted, the COM
pany derives Its revenue from the sale
Of lands bordering on the canals which
are opened. The lands are to be sold at
not more than about $275 gold per acre,
/
advance when the work upon the canal
Is begun. So popular has this plan prov
ed that all the land In the first block Oh
the left side of the Menam Is already
taken up, and the people are 1mpatientiy
waiting for the completion OF the work;
while in the second block, which does
not promise at present to be competed
for several years. moro than half the
ground. has already been applied for
| "a second source or revenue Ior the
company is the toll collected. at the sew
eral locks. and a third Will be the supply
of fish. which swarm In the waters OF the
canals,
s.Encouraged by the success OF this
company, tho king has In mind an ex-
tensiye canal programme for the oevef-
opnent of the rich lands In Siam ehat
now He waste. and I am told that ne mas
already sent to Holland for expert en-
aineers to make a plan for this comPre-
bensiye canal system. There are thou
sands Of miles of such waste lands still
| uncultiyated. and 1t would seem that
there ia nothing to which the govern
nent of the country could with more az
vantage turn it's immediate Afternoon Ia
view of the small amount Of capital re-
ouired the revenues that must accrue 60
the treasury, the splendid values tnat
will be added to the country In It's IN
creased productive area, and the aDun-
dant employment afforded people VINO
are today In need of such encouragement.
.DPhe opening Of these rich rice FIELDS
ia giving new aspect to the question OF
agriculture in this country. Besides the
thousands who are taking up small hold-
fngs, there are also those who are buy
tho large estates to await an increase In
values. and for the cultivation of rice On
an extensive scale"
The people in the United States do not
yet fully realize che tremendous progress
= tn oil di1antions,