The Hawaiian gazette., 1917-01-26
D. S. Williams Constructing En-
eineeb Declares That Finan-
ciaI Success pfWork Assured
WILL CONNECT WITH NEW
GOVERNMENT ROAD IN NORTH
Rails Run Through Rich Agricul-
tural and Coal Country Of
Canton Province

How to build q Chinese railroad with
Chinese capital in the face Of the pc,
culiarities Of Chinese temperament is
subject that could be well illustrated
by d. s. Williams, passenger on the T.
X. X. liner Siberia Maru, which left
here yesterday for the Orient. Mr..
Williams, who is son Of Col Arthur
s. Williams, u. s.. A., retired, of Los
Angeles, has been visiting his father
and Is now bound for Nagasaki and
from thence to Canton where lie his
labors. Nv. 'ra - rt'.i+i
Mr., Williams is constructing engineer
of the Yueh.Han railway, -7of Canton,
not the chief engineer according to
Chinese classifcations, for that position
is filled by o large Chinese who signs
all the reports and plans that Mr.. viii,
liams brings him. But the young AM
erican, according to other passengers
on the vessel who know him and his
work in the Orient, is the constructive
genius Of the Canton road, the only rail
way in China that has been developed
with purely Chinese capital.
"This line is only one hundred and
fifty miles long at present." said Mr.
Williams on the Siberia Maru yester.
day, "but is assured financial sue.
cess under ordinary circumstances. II
does not yet connect with the govern
ment line from the North, which has
still some distance to build before il
reaches the junction point. E5l& /,
owe also have about fifty or sixty
miles more to build, but as this part
of the road will lie through the noun
tains and a region that would not by
itself support a road, we are waiting
for progress on the government road
before building further. s. -, ,
y HThe road at present lies through
n rich agricultural district with only
several towns on the line, the largest
of which numbers about thirty thou,
sand souls, as far as can be determined
for China censuses are neither Iumer.
GUS or exact. n ?
"The line has had some unfortunate
experiences and the Chinese capital
likely to 60 into railroads is consequent.
ly at present shy. A food last year
wiped out good part of the road, cost.
ing us half million dollars and then
came the revolution you heard about
The revolutionarfes smashed some OF
our stock, tore up some OF the line and
generally set us back about 100000
more. g." ~. 49,. Of.
cat the same time the line is a
profitable Investment and when running
under normal conditions brings in about
$4,000 day in spite of its limited ter.
ritory.
>'"The line will tap q district rich in
coal and with limestone and other in
gradients of cement plentiful while
iron has been discovered although the
mines have been worked only in typ
ical half hearted Chinese way and moth
ing much has been done with them.
= Zone of the roads now projected
which will probably be among the
most prosperous in China is the Can
tOn,Amoy line, which has not yet com
menced construction. We have the
surveys and know how much it will
cost US but there has been row with
the government over the concession and
the work is held up. A thirty year con
cession was wanted and the government
will allow only twenty years and ne
gotiations seem to be hung up on that
point"