The Mandalay-Kanlon ferry line, which was to become the main railway connexion between Burmah and Yunnan was stopped by Lord Ourson at Lashio, on the ground that the line offered no promise of return commensurate with the heavy cost. The line doos not pay at present, and the extension on th metre-gauge from Lashio to Salween river is estimated to cost over crore of rupees for its length of loss than ninety-five miles, To the meantime another railway connexion between Burmah and Yunnan has boon suggested, this being the Bhamo-Momein (Toogyuen), which follows an existing route from Tali-fu, an important trading centre in Chinese territory. Moreover, the devoloptnont of electric traction for railways has improved the prospects of this route, on which there is abundant water-power that might be made available, 'A reconnaissance survey has been made for a 2ft, Gio, line worked by electric power. The country is very bad, and the lino would have io cross a series of hills and snddlebacks, but it can be built and worked with very sharp curves. The cost is roughly estimated at two Iakbs mile for the whole length.
It would be good thing if our statesmen would make up their minds whether we are seriously to attempt to tap the rich trade soy railway condiroct—to which often route from Assam considered and by developing a practicable link betw Burma and Yunnan, For meant our good friends the Freach steadily pushing along with their mo gauge line from Tongking, which is expected to reach Yunnan by 1909,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.