Evening star., 1909-06-27
RAILWAY BUILDING IN CHINA
TAKING SPIRITS INTO ACCOUNT.
QUESTION OF CAPITAL.
Engineer Believes Transportation
Lines Should Be Under I'm
perial Control
From the London Standard.

From the London Standard.
From frame of mind that led them
to regard railways as q regrettable neces-
sity." said Arthur John Barry, the well
known engineer, 1.-The Chinese have grad
ually come to realize that the Develop
ment of the railway system Is a matter
of prime Importance to their country
Whether they should be constructed by
private enterprise or on the principle of
state ownership is perhaps matter Of
opinion, but 1 think that state owner
ship is not only the best for China. but
the only possible system compatible with
success. 1t would be impossible to raise
any large amount of capital by private
companies in China.
''If the state is to take charge Of rail-
way development, the question arises as
TO how 1t can raise the capital required.
There are many reasons why it cannot be
raised In China. Money commands u
much higher interest there than abroad.
The Chinese capitalist regards 10 per cent
as not n high rate of interest. Sound
native banks will borrow at this rate and
lend 1t again at anything up to so per
cent 1t is hardly likely, therefore. that
5 per cent railway bonds would appeal
to the Chinese capitalist. If China is to
raise the necessary capital abroad in
sisted Mr.. Barry. lit is essential that the
qua arantees. the security and the man
agement should be such as to insure the
confidence of the foreign investor"
Interference With Graves.
Speaking Of the difficulties encountered
by the railway constructor in China. MIR.
Barry said: Besides the fierce opposi-
tion of reactionary officials there Is the
superstitious antagonism of the people to
be faced. 'Fengshui' is still a difficulty
to be reckoned with. and there is also
the question of the interference with
graves. 'Fengshui' is geomantic mys-
terry far beyond the scope of a mere
western intellect to grasp. 1t Is the luck
of a place. a town, a village, a build
ing. but what that luck depends upon
only the wise man, skilled In mystery.
can say; and some of the conclusions
arrived at after solemn investigation by
the sages would put to shame the pro-
nouncements of the wizards of the mid
die ages.
Spirits have to be taken into account.
and their accustomed movements only
the wise man knows. He only, there
fore, can tell you whether the railway
line you have laid out or the works you
propose to construct will interfere with
the habits of the unseen world or not.
Ancestor Worship.
."The grave question is simpler. The
Chinese are ancestor worshipers. and
sad is the fate hereafter of any one
who permits the bones of his ancestors
to be lost or scattered. The Chinaman
Of the lower middle and lower classes
has arrived at the conviction that an
ancestor will probably forgive him If
the ancestral bones are reverently re-
moved and decently inferred elsewhere.
Since the Chinese bury their dead on
any piece of unoccupied ground. 1t is
generally impossible to lay out a rail
road without interfering with graves.
The Chinaman's feelings may be salved
by suitable monetary consideration.
Whenever compensation for disturb
ance is being paid 1T is remarkable how
large a number of ancient and forgot
ten graves find owners. To make sure
that claimant has Il grave to claim,
sometimes it is the rule to insist on
his producing the ancestral relics for
inspection. / know of one unfortunate
man who, after having done brisk
business in hiring out his parents bones
at so cents time to eager applicants
for compensation, lost them through
careless client"