The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-04-23
NO DIFFICULTY
IN IMPROVING
CHINESE CANAL
Says American Contractor,
Who is Considering Under
taking the Big lob.

PEKING. April Cav. E. Carey
or st. Paul. MIMI, an American con.
tractor who Is considering the i'm.
proyement OF tn. Grand canal In
shantung and Kiangsi provinces, has
returned from tour of inspection
and has announced that the plan
presents no great engineering diff
llculties.
The plan involves the reclamation
OF many hundreds OF thousand acres
OF land which now lie in lake beds OF
districts subject to the overflow Of the
Yellow river and other streams in the
canal basin, some of which have nc
outlet to the sea. In flood times the
waters Of many Of these streams pass
into the canal. which was built
through districts where formerly
lakes afforded reservoirs for the flood
waters. or recent years the canal
has been greatly neglected. In
places now the water Is not more
than six inches deep in dry times
and the banks have been badly dam
aged by high water. Consequently
the government is unable to derive
the tolls which 1t should have from
such an important waterway. Furth-
ermore mucn OF tho territory adj
Joining the canal has fallen into
neglect. and the nelghboring popula-
ton suffers much from flood and
famine.
Plans have been under considera-
ton for many years for the reclama-
tlon OF the great area tributary to
the portion OF the Grand canal which
lies between the Yellow river in
Shantung province and the Yang-tse
river in kiangsl province. 1t has
been estimated that the cost Of re-
storing the canal and diking the
streams In such a manner that flood
water could be carried to the sea,
or allowed to pass off through the
canal. would be thirty million dol
lars gold. The expense of this i'm
provement would. in the opinion of
experts. be more than met by the
value Of the government land actu-
ally reclaimed. Furthermore the in
creased value of the private lands
subject to flood would be very great
and an improvement tax could be
justly levied on these. With the
waterway In perfect repair, the tolls
would be very large throughout the
year.
The American Red Cross and other
agencies have been interested in ex-
plotting the possibilities of this plan,
and have assisted the Chinese govern
ment in bringing 1t to the attention
OF foreign financiers.
While the sale of reclaimed land,
the possible improvement taxes and
the increased tolls would pay for the
Improvement within very few years,
the difficulty has been in raising the
money for the initial cost of the
Work. c. D. Jameson. the engineer
representing the American Red Cross,
II. Vanderveen. consulting engineer
Of the Chinese national conservancy
bureau, and number Of other en-
gineers have Investigated the project,
and reported favorably upon it.
The Chinese government desires 10
have the two provinces through
which the section of the canal runs,
take a special part in the improve
ment, and Mr.. Carey has visited the
governors OF these two provinces for
the purpose Of getting their views on
the conservancy work.
Should Mr.. Carey decide, after a
complete reconnaissance, that the
canal restoration can be carried on,
probably. it is likely tho Chinese
government will enter into negotia-
lions for an American loan to put the
scheme through.