The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-06-09

ing up of channels of trade in that
country are carefully watched in
Washington. The last report of the
Treasury Bureau of Statistics bristles
with figures upon both the trade and
the progress made i'm railway construc-
tion. At the time of the Boxer riots
there was much hostility shown to both
railways and telegraphs. The wires of
The latter being cut, and the rails of
the former being destroyed, and other
damage done. But all this has been
overcome and railway construction
has been actively resumed in several of
the provinces, while there are prac-
tically one thousand miles of railway
in operation, and several hundred miles
will be added this year.
The most interesting portion Of the
statistical report is that which relates
to the railroad activity. 1t can be con-
densed as follows:
The Shantung railway had 100 llfIo-
metres completed at the end of the
year. and trains We're running between
,Isingtao and Tso-shan, This next
spring 1t is expected 10 reach the Ma
su coal mines, and should be complet-
ed as far as Chi-nan-fu, the capital of
the province, in three years. The I'm
perial railways of North China between
Picking and Tientsin and Newchwang
with extensions to Chinwangtao, and
from Fong-tai to the Lu-han railway.
and extensions to Tung-chou and Hsin-
mtn-tu have 9O1 kilometres completed.
The short line between Shanghai and
Woosung, 10 kilometres, is said to be
paying its way now, but nothing has
been done by way of commencing the
projected railway from Shanghai to
ScochoW, Ningpo. etc. and it is under
stood that there is some difficulty in
raising the necessary capital, owing to
the terms Of the concession not being
considered satisfactory by investors.
The great trunk line from Picking to
Hankow makes steady progress. and
the influence on trade should be felt
Immediately During the year the
section between Lu-kou-chiao and Pao-
tng-fu, destroyed by Boxers, was re-
built and the line has been carried
down to Cheng-ting-fu. distant from
Peking 262 kilometres. In 1902 it is
hoped to complete the line as far south
as Shun-te-fu, a further distance Of 125
kilometres. In the south, at the end of
the year l15 kilometres northwards
from HankoW were completed. and
trains will be running as far as Hsin-
1000 yi1pp,Rtr.gA a. 49,
BY the end of the year it is hoped that
the track will be laid for another 100
kilometres north of Hsin-yang. 1t is
intended to commence work shortly on
the line from Wuchung to Canton.
Experience has already shown that
railways in China are eagerly ayaiIed
of and that business increases wherever
they are built"
The last sentence is significant 1t
is not the mere building of the rail-
ways the material for which comes
from our manufactures, but it is the
opening out of business opportunities.
it is the chance which is obtained for
establishing distributing points instead
Of having goods carried by coolies from
the seaboard, or being confined to the
SLOW and uncertain navigation of the
natural waterways, which are at times
a hood, and then again run so low that
they are full of shadows.
What the Chinese trade is to the
world is made plain when last years
imports aggregated $l92 97S, 100, and the
exports 1922, $4,000, a total trade of
over $500, OOO,O 900, or this trade the
United States had $16,S41 500 as i'm
ports into China, and bought over SILL
100000 in the shape of Chinese exports,
making a trade of $2S, 900, 900 or more,
and this is only the very beginning of
mighty trade in the future.
1t is this growing trade which makes
the Philippines indispensable to us.
We must have a military and naval
post close to Asia. The other CONNER
cial countries have, ana dealing with a
government or a non-government like
that Of China we must have force
enough within a few days sail to pro-
tect our merchants and factors. and we
must not depend upon the friendly SER
vices of other nations, though they
would be willingly given. The CONNER
cial value of the Philippines seems to
have been lost to sight under a mass of
morbid sympathy and bitter invective.
If, however, we do not reach out for
the Eastern trade, we shall suffer in
our manufactures. We are, doing re-
Int . fl "a