File 2764/1904 Pt 2 'Baghdad Railway: General negotiations 1908-10.' [‎96r] (200/799)

[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Governmfint, ]
at Adana, on tne suDject ot tne management of the Mersina-Adana Railway.
I have, &c.
GERARD LOWTHER.
and management of the Mersina-Adana Railway, which may he of interest in the matter
of showing how this line is being prepared so as to become eventually part and parcel
of the Bagdad Railway when that line shall reach this city.
Another point worthy of notice is that there are now three new German locomotives
on the line, wdiile there are also some new first, second, and third class Bagdad
passenger carriages in daily service.
A great part of the rolling-stock, trucks, waggons, &c., are now marked “ Bagdad,”
in 1908, but so great has the expenditure been this last year that, on paper, the
company should look in a very bad wmy.
It seems, however, that this may have been done partly with the view of making
the railway look a failure, wdiereby a complete slump in the shares would be caused ;
and it is also supposed, perhaps, that British and other shareholders will now sell out
at any price—if so, the Germans will get the railway entirely into their hands.
Actually, however, the railway has become much improved, and should become
extremely important, while it will probably handle a great amount of traffic, thus
proving a most paying investment.
The recklessly, but perhaps designedly, large expenditure of last year (1909) has
been caused principally by a lot of general repairing that has been done to the
permanent way—new sleepers have been laid, new embankments made, rolling-stock
renewed, &c.
Furthermore, two passenger trains are now run daily in each direction, instead of
one train per day each way as formerly. The staff has also been increased about
30 per cent., and the men are paid high wages—all this probably increasing^ the
efficiency of the service—but it makes a great hole in the year s table of receipts,
whereby it might appear, at first sight, that the line had become an extraordinarily
expensive and unprofitable concern. >
As regards this increase of employes, I can mention that, for instance, the staff at
Adana station his been increased from three to six, and the secretary’s office at Mersina,
■which consisted of one employe, now consists of eight. . .
In conclusion, therefore, it is my humble opinion that those who rule the destinies
of this line at present are obviously eager to get everything completely into their own
ASIATIC TURKEY AND ARABIA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[March 14.]
SECTTfvw A
[8733]
No. 1.
Enclosure in No. 1.
Vice-Consul Rawlins to Sir G. Lowther.
(No. 7. Confidential.)
Sir,
Adana, February 25, 1910.
I HAVE the honour to forward herewith some details upon the present working
It is generally known, I believe, that about 60 per cent, of the shares of the
Mersina-Adana Railway are now in German hands, and it is also a significant fact that
the present director here is shortly to be replaced by a German.
and to the casual observer the whole line appears, although it does not really, to belong
to the Bagdad Railway, and the old British rolling-stock and locomotives appear to be
rapidly being got rid of.
As regards expenses and receipts, the general turnover in 1909 was greater than
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