The survey is now completed to Ching-ichoufu, and it is the intention of the railway company to push the work rapidly westward in order to tap the Poshan coal fields at an early day, and thus assure Tsingtao of a good supply of fuel, which is essential to the life of that port as a coaling station.
Fears have been expressed by some that the freight rates adopted by the railway are too high to secure the Chinese trade, but a recent talk on this matter with those in charge of the line has con-vineed the writer that even the present rates, which are acknowledged to be igher than the contemplated revised schedule, will successfully compete with an Chinese charges for transportation now in vogue. This is speci true of large consignments of heavy goods which a railway can handle minimum expense. When large contracts for carriage are attempted by Chinese carts and barrows, it reminds one of emptying the ocean with a teaspoon. A recent test of the relative cost of carriage by Chinese conveyance and the rail was made at the coal mines near Weihsien last summer. An enormous lot of mad ery and building materi was transported from Tsingtao, weight and cost being carefully recorded. When compared with the present established railway tariff anticipating the opening of the road to Well n) it was found that ti he railway charges would be about one-fourth the freight actual lly paid out for Chinese carriage.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.