A VISITOR FROM CHINA.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1027, 17 January 1911, Page 2

A VISITOR FROM CHINA.

- , INTERESTING REMARKS. (By Telegraph.—Spccial Correspondent.) Christchurch, January 16. After a fortnight's enforced stay at the quarantine station on Quail Island, Mr. W; C. -Dodds,'of tho Chinese Imperial Railway Service, accompanied by Mrs. Dodds, arrived in Christchurch on Saturday evening. Interviewed by a "Press" reporter, Mr. Dodds stated that lie, had beeii for tho past live years in the service of the Imperial Pekiug-Fungtieu railways as a'traffic inspector. The railway, which was controlled by tho Chinese Government, was worked under the supervision of foreigners. . "We aro all foreigners m China, and we call ourselves foreigners," remarked Mr. Dodds. , ' ■■ . The line had been largely built with British capital, and the chief, officials were Britishers. The traffic manager was a Queenslandcr, and most of tho traffic inspectors came froiu the railway service in that State. The railway was a most up-to-date one in every .way, in one respect being ahead of the New Zealand service,, for they had automatic couplings. The gauge was the standard one, -lft. SJin., and while the locomotives were mostly df American and English manufacture, the rolling-stock was built in their own works at Tangshan. Tho works mentioned were large, and excellently equipped, although owing to the cheapness of labour there was no great need for labour-saving machines. In those works rolling-stock was built far all the North China railways. At this place there were great coal mines worked by an English Company, and the output was about 30,000 tons of coal per week. The coal was bituminous, of good quality, and was fair steaming coal. The field was an. enormous one, and a great, trade was done in Northern China. Regarding the food supply, Mr. Dodds stared that' it might surprise some people to know that New Zealand apples could be bought, in Tientsin for about eight dollars (155.) a: case. ' Tho apples had been arriving in fair quantities.and they found a verv ready sale. New Zealand tinned butter also found its way up there, and was much appreciated. Sugar mostly' came from Southern China,- Hour from 'Siberia - and the United States, and meat was obtained locally. " Australian meat,- however, was procurable in Shanghai.