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III. KOREAN LIGHT RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS.

INTRODUCTION.

The Korean light railways and tramways are of considerable importance. The following is a reference made to the subject in the annual report of the railway bureau of the Governor General of Chosen for the year ended March 31, 1916:

The light railways and tramways sanctioned and constructed during the old Korean administration were transferred to the superintendence of the Government General of Chosen in October, 1910; the lines open to traffic at the time reached only 20 miles, while a length of 15 miles was still unopened. Before that time there was no law applying to these lines, so one was then issued concerning light railways in Chosen and supplementary laws were issued in June, 1913. Since the fiscal year 1914 an annual subsidy of 6 per cent has been allowed to companies planning to lay down and work light railways according to the law, so as to assist and encourage the development of the work.

The policy and tendency seem to incline decidedly toward the building of trunk and important branch lines as part of the government system of standard-gauge railways and the building of light railways or tramways as a means of developing the country. This latter class includes tramways in the cities and industrial lines, particularly in the development of the mineral resources of Chosen. All these lines are considered as forming one general class, but they can be subdivided into the lines handling general traffic (including the city passenger tramways) and the lines that do not handle general traffic. These last receive no subsidies and are termed private lines. On March 31, 1916, there were 64.9 miles of general-traffic lines of all classes and 46.9 miles of industrial lines, making a total of 111.8 miles. On this same date there were under construction 144.4 miles of the former and 21 miles of the latter, a total of 165.4 miles. In addition, there is projected a very considerable mileage of both classes, which will be built in the course of time.

There has been a great deal of difficulty in obtaining the necessary materials for constructing these lines and the rolling stock to operato them, especially since the exhaustion of the supply of 2-foot-6-inchgauge equipment from the Antung branch of the South Manchuria Railway, and it is very probable that the construction of the new lines will be materially retarded until prices become more nearly normal.

For the year ended March 31, 1916, the revenues from the 64 miles of commercial lines amounted to $222,006 and the expenses totaled $153,696, leaving a profit of $68,310. The paid-up capital of these lines amounted on this same date to about $3,537,000, and in addition there seemed to be about $1,242,500 of other debts, making the outstanding capital obligations nearly $4,800,000. The construction cost and purchasing price of these lines on the same date totaled $4,202,275, which apparently is considered the equivalent of the construction cost. The profits for the year 1914 showed only about

1.1 per cent return on this cost and in 1915 about 1.6 per cent, allowing for some increase of capital obligations, details of which are not shown. It is not stated on what lines the 6 per cent subsidy is guaranteed, but, with the partial information at hand, the earnings seem to show that the rate of return was about the same for all the lines, which would indicate the payment of a subsidy of 4 to 5 per cent on such lines as are guaranteed. This applies to both 1914 and

1915.

Following are very brief references to some of the lines on which the writer obtained information.

KEIJYO (SEOUL) ELECTRIC CO.

The Keijyo Electric Co. is the most important concern of its kind in Chosen; its operations include the supplying of commercial electricity and gas for the city and suburbs of Seoul (called Keijyo by the Japanese). The company was originally owned by American interests, but some years ago was purchased and taken over by Japanese capital. After the company was taken over it was first known as the Nikkan Gas & Electric Co., but the name was recently changed to that just given. The present paid-up capital is $2,542,350, with other capital obligations amounting to approximately $1,000,000.

There are 16.6 miles of route, with 28.6 miles of all track, all of which is of 3-foot-6-inch gauge. Details of the earnings were not available, but sufficient data were obtained to indicate that while the gas and electric operations may be profitable the tramways are not carrying their part of the interest and dividend charges.

There is one power house for the general supply of current, with one substation in addition for the conversion of tramway power. The rolling stock consists of 79 motored passenger cars, 6 motored and 6 trailer goods cars, and 2 sprinklers. This rolling stock, including trucks and electric equipment, is largely of American manufacture. When the writer visited Seoul in July, 1917, there were 6 new cars under construction in the company's own workshops, the equipment for which had already been received from America. It was desired to build more cars, but these were held up on account of the difficulty in obtaining equipment and the high prices prevailing.

The track is all laid with 60-pound T-rail. A considerable part of the special work is of American manufacture, including some hardened parts.

The head office of this company is at Tokyo, Japan, but Mr. I. Murao (Japanese) is chief engineer, located in Seoul, and has general charge of the tramways, including the handling of purchases that are made locally. Many of these are from the strong Japanese commercial and engineering branches in Seoul, as referred to in connection with the Korean railways.

ZENHOKU LIGHT RAILWAY CO.

The Zenhoku Light Railway Co. has 15.5 miles of light railways of 2-foot-6-inch gauge, connecting with the Konan branch at Riri and extending to Zenshu, where the head office is located. The paid-up capital of this company is $146,335, with about $25,000 of other capital obligations. General commercial traffic is handled. The line

has a small amount of equipment, consisting of 2 locomotives, 6 passenger cars, and 12 covered and 9 open goods wagons.

KOREAN GAS & ELECTRIC CO.

The Korean Gas Co. now has 12.8 miles of electric tramway, of 2-foot-6-inch gauge, at Fusan, including a line to the Torai Hot Springs. This same company operates the commercial electric and gas business at Fusan. The company now has $675,000 in capital shares outstanding, with about $200,000 of other capital obligations.

KANKO COAL MINING CO.

The Kanko Coal Mining Co. operates 8.8 miles of steam line, of 2-foot 6-inch gauge, handling general commercial traffic, though the principal use of the line is the transporting of this company's coal to the port of Seikoshin. The issued share capital is about $150,000. The head office is at Kanko.

KOREAN LIGHT RAILWAY CO.

The Korean Light Railway Co., with head office at Fusan, has in course of construction four or five steam lines amounting to about 115 miles of 2-foot 6-inch gauge. These lines are all in southern Chosen, in the general vicinity of Fusan, and about 25 miles are now practically complete. From the information obtainable it appears that this company has additional mileage projected. It is one of the concerns whose lines will be built under the 6 per cent subsidy.

This same company has another electrified line of about 12 miles, of 2-foot 6-inch gauge, under construction from the port of Seishin, in the northern part of Chosen, to Ranan, on the Kyojo-Kwainei military railway. From all appearances this concern is likely to take a very active part in building subsidized light railways and tramways in all parts of Chosen.

INDUSTRIAL TRAMWAYS.

The various mining concerns have, as a rule, built and operated the industrial tramways for the handling of ores and fuel.

The Mitsui Mining Co., of Tokyo, owns and operates the longest line-18.5 miles of steam railway, of 2-foot 6-inch gauge, between Shinanshu and Kaisen, a short distance north of Pingyang (Heijyo). Mitsubishi & Co., of Tokyo, have under construction two steam lines, one of 10.3 miles and the other of 3.9 miles, both of 2-foot 6-inch gauge, and one electric line of 6.8 miles, of 2-foot 6-inch gauge. These are all for the transportation of ore.

M. Komiya, of Fusan, has 12.2 miles of man-power line, of 2-foot 6-inch gauge, for the transportation of ore between Kokan and Tokusuri, and there are a number of other small lines. Mining development will probably bring about considerable additions to the number of these small industrial lines.

Part 4.-MANCHURIA.

I. GENERAL INFORMATION.

Most of the features of Manchuria involving the transportation situation have been covered in connection with the general features of China. It therefore seems necessary only to list the five railways that now exist and to call very brief attention to the products of Manchuria so far as these involve railway transportation. In connection with these railways one feature that will probably be of much importance in the future development of Manchuria, and has in the past been of considerable magnitude, is the shipping on the Amur and its tributaries, of which the Sungari is the most important. The Amur River drains an area of many thousand square miles of rich country suited to both agricultural and pastoral products and probably containing considerable mineral resources, of which at the present time gold is the most important product.

The five railways in Manchuria are as follows: South Manchuria Railway Co., 692 miles; Kirin-Changchun Railway, 80 miles; Ssupingkai-Chengchiatun Railway, 52 miles; Chinese Eastern Railway, 1,078 miles; Tsitsihar Light Railway, 17 miles; total, 1,919 miles. The first three lines are all of 4-foot 84-inch gauge. The Chinese Eastern is of Russian standard 5-foot gauge, and the Tsitsihar of meter gauge. The second and third lines, although nominally Chinese Government railways, are actually feeder lines to the South Manchuria Railway and are largely under the control of the latter.

The soya bean is produced in great quantities in all of southern and central Manchuria. Millet is grown in its several varieties, of which kaoliang is the most important; its grain is used for food, the stalk is stripped for fodder, and the stalk and roots are used for fuel. In central and northern Manchuria the pastoral products are important. Lumber is brought down the Sungari River in considerable quantities, particularly to Kirin, from which place it is shipped by rail to points on both the South Manchuria and the Chinese Eastern Railways.

Much the larger part of the population of Manchuria is located in the southern and central portions. It is estimated that about 75 per cent is located in the general region served by the South Manchuria Railway. This territory was and is now served by the native craft on the Liao River, which lies west of the main line of the railway from a point about 75 miles southwest of Changchun (to which point it flows out of the northeastern part of Mongolia) to the head of the Liaotung Gulf. In the past, during the navigation season a great amount of traffic was carried by the craft plying this stream. This business was carried to Newchwang, where it was taken up by ocean-going ships. One of the handicaps in this system of transporta

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