Serious Questions to be Faced at Conference Nanking, March The National Railway Transportation Conference covered under the auspices of the Ministry of Railways to discuss and decide upon measures for the improvement of Jcommercial transportation on the [Government railways was formally laponed yesterday afternoon. Minister Sun Fo presided and over 100 representatives from the various Mini-stues, Commissions, provincial and municipal governments, chamber [commerce and the various administrations were present, Addressing the gathering, Minister Sun pointed out that as the purpose of the present. conference was to devise' measures for the reorganization and development Jof railway commercial transportation, the results of its deliberations would have important bearings upon the welfare of the people, Despite the fact that the Chinese railways had been in existence for several decades, little progress has been achieved, owing to the incessant civil wars.
The National Government, con: tinued Minister Sun, had, ever since inauguration, attached particular portance to its railway development programmes. With the cessation of military operations, and the restoration of national usifica-Hon the foremost task of the mistry was the reorganization and development of the existent "rail ways. In the carrying out of this task, the Ministry was however confronted by no small obstacles. The various railways were now on the verge of bankruptey, the total obligations amounting to the stagering figure of more than $1,000 millions. to corrupt and irregular practices have prevailed to a large extent in the various railway administrations, Not only are facilities for freight transportation far from being: adequate, but staff members are also inefficient and corrupt. There fare also cases in Which fraudulent Practices are committed by unserdpulous merchants in collusion with. Failway employees. Apart, there. fore, from the reorganization and increase of rolling stock and the enforcement of rigid regulations for the eradication of corruption on the part of railway employees, strict Fegulation of the various mercantile transportation companies must. be introduced in order to prevent the perpetration of fraud by unscras pulous merchants in collusion with Failway. employees
goods transported: 'The proposal "Liablity for ess or damasse Suggests that instead of the railway directly assuming the risks, the Ministry of Railways should entrust fan' insurance company' with the responsibility of insuring goods ac-Jeepted for transportation. A pre mium of 2 per mille (on the freight charge) will be collected. Over and above that, an additional charge of 1 per mille is to be imposed to meet Jexpenses which will have to be fourred by the Railways in protecting the goods from damage. This system, if approved, is to be enforefed. uniformly on all Government railways Cooperation between Government railways and shipping companies; Arrangements should be concluded by. the various Government railway administrations with shipping com panies concerned for the linking up
facilities, and and water. transportation posed by railway and the eradication Jof corrupt practices in the administrations were among other pro-ossals submitted—Kuo Min,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.