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The directors do not undertake to accept the lowest or any tender, and are not responsible for any expenses incurred by intending contractors in obtaining the quotations, etc.

TIENTSIN, March 25, 1898.

BY ORDER.

IMPERIAL RAILWAYS OF NORTH CHINA.

TENDER FOR RAILS AND FASTENINGS.

We, the undersigned, do hereby offer to supply the rails and fastenings in accordance with the specification to be given by C. P. Sandberg, esq., of 19 Great George street, Westminster, London, S. W.

Payments to be made in Hong-ping taels ten days after each complete shipment has been landed.

Seven thousand tons steel rails, 60 pounds per yard, at.....
Fish plates as needed, plus 5 per cent, at......

Bolts as needed, plus 10 per cent, at...........
Spikes, 165 tons, at.......

[blocks in formation]

Per ton.

NOTE.-Tenders in other currency or in any other form can not be admitted.

Signature.
Address.

Date.

IMPERIAL RAILWAYS OF NORTH CHINA.

INDENT NO. 246-SPECIFICATION.

Type.-The rails must be of new 1894 design of C. P. Sandberg, esq., who will give specifications, timplates,* and watch manufacture, whether in Europe or America.

Weight.-Weight of rail, 60 pounds per yard.

Quantities.-Rails, 7,000 tons; fish plates as needed, plus 5 per cent; bolts as needed, plus 10 per cent; spikes, 165 tons.

Note. This design is entirely different from any rails yet made for China. Weights of fish plates, etc., can not be given here, owing to drawings not being to hand.

Length. The length shall be 30 feet; the proper percentage of short rails to be decided by C. P. Sandberg, esq.

Marking. Each rail must bear the name of maker and date of manufacture in letters at least I inch high.

Quality. The rails must be of the very best quality and must be made either by the Bessemer or Siemen's acid process (on no account will basic steel be accepted); without being brittle, they must be hard and most durable.

Test.-Shall be indicated by C. P. Sandberg, esq., with a view to secure above

quality.

Acceptance. The rails will not be accepted in China unless each is stamped with inspector's mark and a proper certificate is produced from Mr. Sandberg stating number and nature of tests, together with accurate analysis of metal. The cost of inspection will be paid by directors. All bent or injured rails will be rejected on

*As in the original.

All

landing or purchased at reduced price fixed by district engineer at Tongku. rails unaccompanied by a proper proportion of fastenings will be held as rails not delivered.

Fine.-A fine of 15 tael cents per ton shall be paid by contractors for each day any rails remain undelivered.

Delivery.-The rails must be landed on Tongku wharf not later than November 15, 1898. The contractors shall land rails, etc., at their own risk and cost. Payments Payments will be made ten days after acceptance.

TIENTSIN, February 24, 1898.

C. W. KINDER, M. I. C. E.,

Engineer in Chief.

OPENING OF TREATY PORTS IN CHINA.

The Emperor of China has, by decree, opened the following places as treaty ports: Yo-chou, in the province of Hunan, San-tuao, in the jurisdiction of Fuh-ning, in the province of Fukien; and Chin-wang-tao, in the jurisdiction of Fuh-ning, in the province of Chihli.

I inclose a translation of the Yâmen's note in regard to the opening of these ports.

A

Yo-chou is situated at the mouth of the Tungting Lake, in Hunan, and is about 130 miles from the treaty port of Hankow. very large trade is carried on there in native produce. It is a military and customs station, and is the first place opened to foreign trade in the province of Hunan. It is believed that a good carrying trade will be developed when foreign steamers commence running there, which will, no doubt, be in the near future.

San-tu-ao, in the province of Fukien, is a place better known. among foreigners as Samlah Inlet. The entrance to this inlet, 10 miles to the westward of Spider Island, is 134 miles wide, with deep water and strong tides. The bay extends to the northward 13 miles, terminating in a sandy isthmus, over which Funing Bay is seen. Very little is known about this part of Fukien, but it is said that there is an extensive trade carried on from the mainland, in junks plying up and down the coast. Recently the Germans are reported. to have explored the place, and at one time, previous to the occupation of Kiaochou, it is believed that it was considered desirable as a naval and coaling station.

Chin-wang-tao is on what the admiralty charts call "Shallow Bay." It is between Creek Point and Rocky Point, about a mile deep and clear of rocks, and the shore is sufficiently steep to allow large boats to land easily. The depth is 2 fathoms at half a mile, and 41⁄2 fathoms at 2 miles from the shore. A reef of rocks, which generally breaks, encircles Rocky Point at half a mile distant.

Shallow Bay is the place where the foreign mails were landed

during the winter, and I understand that it is intended to serve as an outlet for the coal country behind. It is a short distance north of the new summer resort called Pei-tai-ho.

PEKING, April 3, 1898.

CHARLES DENBY,

Minister.

THE TSUNGLI YÂMEN TO MR. DENBY.

PEKING, March 31, 1898.

YOUR EXCELLENCY: The princes and ministers have the honor to inform the minister of the United States that it has been decided to open the following additional places as treaty ports, in order to develop and extend trade. Yo-chou Fu, in the province of Hunan; San-tu-ao, in the jurisdiction of the Fun-ning prefecture, in the province of Fukien; and Chin Wang Tao, in the jurisdiction of the Fu-ning district, in the province of Chihli.

The Yâmen, on the 24th of March and other days, memorialized the Emperor in regard to the matter, and have now received His Majesty's decree sanctioning the opening of the above-named places as treaty ports.

As soon as the time has been fixed for the establishment of custom-houses at these places, due notice will be given to the minister of the United States.

In the meantime the princes and ministers send this communication for the information of the minister of the United States.

OPENING OF INLAND WATER ROUTES IN CHINA

I inclose an extract from a Shanghai journal, describing what is about to become an important event in the history of China. As is stated, the canals are the roads in China. This fact is so well known at home that it is not necessary to again describe them.

In volume 3 of Special Consular Reports, "Streets and Highways" (1891), will be found, I think, a few remarks of mine upon this subject; also in CONSULAR REPORTS Nos. 152 and 192; and in Special Consular Reports, "Canals and Irrigation," there are more reports.

In view of the opening of the waterways to foreign vessels, no better field in the world will be found for our small boats, tugs, and steamers. Imagine every railroad in America removed and a canal substituted, and one will form some idea of the magnitude of the system in this vast Empire. It is only within the past few weeks that a small steamer has made its appearance at Chungking, and I remember well the fierce opposition that arose when the first launches began to run on the canals between Shanghai and Hangchow.

China has gone too far for a backward move, and it is now or never that our merchants must be on the alert, for the Chinese will not wait for us, and, once they form business connections, it is almost impossible to get them to change. The few American houses in China are old-established firms, and have so much to attend to that they can not control the introduction of anything out of their regular line, and perhaps do not care to.

It is my impression that China offers a good opportunity for the establishment of an American company for the building of small boats and launches. There are a few dock and shipbuilding companies owned by Chinese or British firms, which have been veritable gold mines to their shareholders. It is certain that they will not be

able to supply the demand, should it be true that the inland waters are to be opened in June.

CHEFOO, March 25, 1898.

JOHN FOWLER,

Consul.

[From the North-China Daily News, Shanghai, February 26, 1898.]

The news we published on Tuesday that the Chinese Government has consented to admit foreign and native steamers to all inland waters is confirmed by later advices, and there would seem to be no doubt that this important concession has actually been obtained. We are still in the dark as to the negotiations which have resulted in this important agreement, and we have yet to learn what has persuaded the authorities in Peking to take a step which evinces a degree of wisdom and foresight beyond anything we have been accustomed to look for in that quarter. There are two aspects of the question which immediately attract attention. From the foreign point of view, the concession should mean an enormous increase in the trade, and from the Chinese it should mean not only increased wealth and enlightenment, but also the safeguarding of the integrity of the Empire. That so radical a change should come into full operation in the short delay of four months is difficult to believe. The peculiar but deep-seated conviction of Chinese officials, that commerce exists only that it may be taxed for their support, will undoubtedly lead to attempts to restrict in every possible way the freedom which is essential to an expanding trade; and vexatious regulations, founded upon the supposed necessity of protecting their private interests, but supported by plausible arguments, will no doubt be persistently proposed and, it is to be hoped, vigorously objected to. The foreign trade of China, capable of enormous expansion, has increased but slowly. The opening of new treaty ports, although a move in the right direction, has never brought about the increase which was expected, and the explanation is simple. Owing to the want of means of communication, only restricted areas can be served without a cost for carriage which is prohibitive. The people can not purchase imports unless they can sell their exports in exchange for them, and without cheap carriage they can not place their exports on the market at a reasonable figure. The inland waters are the roads of China, and if once they are thronged with steamers, one of the greatest obstacles to trade now existing will have been removed. As regards foreign goods, the transit-pass system, which has shown considerable development, especially in the south, during the past year, should, with some modifications, make everything easy. It seems to us that it is the traffic in native goods which will offer the officials the best field for obstruction; for it is not to be supposed that the steamers will carry back only goods destined for export to foreign countries. This class of goods can, of course, obtain the protection of transit passes; but if other native goods are still to be taxed at every likin station, the working of the steamers will be hindered to an extent which will greatly diminish the value of the concession. However, it is premature to discuss these questions before we hear what regulations have been drawn up and agreed to, and we have still to consider the second aspect of the question.

China has hitherto aroused a feeling of antagonism simply on account of her

exclusiveness.

The enormous possibilities of trade, which the nations of the west believe to exist in this country, have naturally excited competition. Hitherto it has been found that trade was only to be gained by force or threats, and a tendency has lately become manifest to take action which, if not checked, would undoubtedly lead to the dismemberment of the Empire. "Sphere of influence" is a convenient phrase for glossing over what is apt to become actual control, and by agreements among the powers that any "sphere of influence" should be open to the trade of all of them on equal terms, it is conceivable that we might see rapid developments in this direction which would soon leave very little of China independent. But if the Chinese adopt a liberal policy and throw their country open freely to all, it is evident that the old grievances will no longer exist. China becomes one of the comity of nations, and her interests become those of her friends and customers. Any attempt on the part of one nation to obtain a preponderating influence which might be used to the advantage of its own commerce and to the detriment of that of the others, would at once arouse diplomatic resistance. Is it possible that the Chinese are at length awakening to this view? We are at the beginning of a great change which will have stupendous issues. Let the Chinese once realize that they are safe from aggression as long as they are friendly, and that they secure the protection of foreign nations by utilizing foreign capital and foreign enterprise, and we shall see this country make such strides as may in time make it one of the richest and most powerful in the world.

FIRECRACKERS IN CHINA.*

During the year ending June 30, 1897, there were exported from China 26,705,733 pounds of firecrackers, valued by the Chinese imperial customs at 1,993,082 haikwan taels, equaling, at the average rate of exchange during that time, $1,584,151 gold. The entire export was from the province of Kwangtung. the different ports were as follows:

Canton

Kowloon

Lappa.......

Swatow

The shipments from

Pounds. I, 067, 200 24,074, 267

907, 733

656, 533

Of the total shipment, by far the largest part was sent by sailing vessels to New York. A small quantity went to England. Other countries buy only infinitesimal amounts.

During that year freight to New York ranged from $2.25 to $4.25 per ton (40 cubic feet), varying with the rate of exchange and with the number of sailing vessels seeking cargo.

The exports represent only a small fraction of the amount manufactured and used in China. There are no large manufactories; the crackers are made in small houses and in the shops where they are sold. In the latter places the proprietor of the shop, his wife (or wives), and children do the work. No record is kept of the

* This report was made in reply to a request for information from a resident of Ohio, to whom ADVANCE SHEETS have been sent.

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