Omaha daily bee., 1902-05-18

Ly canals and about thirty-hve years ago
these canals were the streets. All traffic
was carried on in boats and boats took the
place of wagons and carriages. There are
still about seventy-five miles of canals In
Bangkok, but bridges have been built over
them, paved streets have been laid and you
can now drive almost anywhere in a car
riage. Ten years ago there were only
about nine miles of paved streets. Now
there are over fifty miles and new streets
are being opened up every year. The
American bridge makers might do a good
business in supplying the bridges. The old
ones of iron and wood are being replaced
by modern ones of iron and steel. The
king himself builds one steel bridge every
year out of his private funds as a gift to
the city. This bridge is open to the public,
with special ceremonies, on his birthday.
At present the most of our bridge building
materials come from England"
Water Works Contractor.
Il see that our consul general, Hamilton
King, says that Bangkok is unhealthy from
lack of water works"
That matter is being remedied, - replied
Mr.. Lotus. The government is now in
vestigating the subject and within a short
time we will have a new water works and
sewerage system. | don't know where the
supplies will come from. 1t takes an enor-
nous amount of pipe for a city so scattered
as Bangkok and whether we shall import It
or make it ourselves is a question. our
people are skillful in handling clay and 1t
may be that the pipes will be of pottery or
We may establish foundries to make them.
We are trying to develop the country In
every way and can afford to spend more II
thereby we can found a home industry.
I'VE are improving our country greatly
by digging canals and by opening up irri-
gated lands. 1t seems strange to speak o
irrigation in a land as well watered al
Siam, but there are large tracts that hav,
been brought under cultivation in this way
-, The vast plain of southern Siam, whicl
n has some of the richest soil in the world
: has been opened up by canals. The create
part of it was a jungle until within tn
q last fifty years, when canals began to b
- dug. We have now canals from river t
- river, and the canals serve as the highway
a of the country. In addition to the govern
- ment works there are private canal com
p. panies which have received large conces
p. sions of land. The Siam Canal and Irriga
ton company is one which has been work
ing for years and which has brought niue
-, waste land under cultivation. The terri
tory which II has was swamp ana Jung
- ten years ago, but it is now settled by ov,
=, 10000 people. These companies get the
b. revenues from the sales of the land horde
ing on their canals. The price is limit
- to $2.75 gold per acre, and at this prl
-, they can pay good dividends. There a
>, still vast tracts Of waste lands which ne
-, opening up. The situation is being cal
fully studied and expert engineers W
f. make plans by which these lands can
Az developed and brought under cultivation
No Debts aud Money Ia Barn.
lm such public improvements VIII heeu
"h vast deal of money, will they mott 81
oat pose Siam has a large public DEBT
~ ready?"
"It has no debt whatever, replied
! siamese secretary. 1T has, on the c
trary. a cash surplus of about $4,000
lN ticais, including 81, 900, 600 which was la'
invested in British consols, Our COVE
hss ment is one Of the few in the world wi
bIic are not in debt. The revenues more
of meet the expenses and the country is
as creasing its riches from year to year
Where does the revenue come FROM
IN From the usual taxes and licenses