Yunnan, reports the measures which he has taken for developing the mining industry of the districts of Chao-t, ung, ch, uan, and Wei-ning in the north-eastern corner of the province above the Yoi Towards the end of last year he started for Chao-tung, and on his arrival there he found the Japanese mining engineers awaiting him. Accompanied by them he went over all the hills in the district, and made a tour of over three months duration. Rich seams of copper were found at the following places: Ch'ing-fu-shan and Ch'ing-shan in the jurisdiction of Yung-shan; Hsiang shan-ching in Lu-tien and Pai-hsi-la in the Ch'iso-chia district. Lead was found in abundance in Wei-ning. Mining establishments were started at all these under the charge of a public mercantile company, and at outlying points where the company ment was started of forwarding the Sopper direct to Peking. This was just after the rebellion, when labour was very scatce'and the cost' of fuel exceedingly high. The management of the business was in the hands of officials who had no experience of the work, and were obliged to be guided in everything by the smelters. For several years the enterprise was as unsuccessful as ever. In 1883 8 company of merchants was formed to take over the business, but
of making advances was continued. Though their capital being insufficient, the aystem they took overthedebtsof their predecessors, they not only failed to pay them but contracted others of their own. They have now been replaced by a Mining Company composed of merchants with a large aggregate capital, who are to provide the copper before receiving its price, Exclusive of the copper sent to Peking, a certain proportion is allowed by law to be placed in circulation could not'start operations the natives were on the local market, The former amount allowed to open mines on their own account. was fixed two years ago at the instance of The company was to purchase the out-tum.
Ts'én Yii-ying at 1,000,000 catties a year, of these mines at certain fixed rates, and to and a tenth of it was to be sold locally. prevent smuggling; the miners were not Asa matter of fact, only 500,000 catties authorized to establish smelting furnaces, have been sent to Peking, and nothing was Mining, smelting, and all other operation left for local consumption, For the last were at first to be conducted on the native 20 years or so the people have been de-principle, but if this proved unsuitable, an prived of their legal supply, while the admixture of Western systems was to be articles of copper manufacture for house-introduced. The great objective was to hold use have greatly increased. The metal give employment and support to a needy has been obtained by melting down the population. Every care was taken to pro-cash coinage, of which there is now a groat vide for the comfort of the miners and the dearth in Yunnan. To obviate this state of
and the institution of societies and sworn maintenance of discipline. amongst: them, things, the Memorialist now proposes that the Government should regulate ita pur-brotherhoods was strictly forbidden. As chases as follows. Of every 100 catties of 00 as success was secured for the enter-copper that is mined, 10 are to be Are prise in the east of the province, oper-on the market, 14 are to represent waste ations would be extended to the south, and duty, and the remaining 76 are to be and xs soon as the lead mines in Wei-ning taken over by the Government. justified expectations, others would be MINING CAPITAL FROM CHEKIANO, opened at Shui-Ch'tng. There is one difficulty. All the above are new mines, through the Financial Commissioner of Trand-chiung acknowledges the receipt and the Japanese engineers told the Me-Yunnan of Tls. 10,000 being a contribution monalist that it was only by sinking to a depth of four or five hundred charly that from Chekiang on account of mi The cost of transmitting this sum by bill of they could be worked on a large scale. exchange was. Tls. 160, and this was-de-'The rock is so hard that unless forei ducted from the amount received. To this machinery is employed, no result could the Memorialist objects, and asks that the obtained for eight or nine months. The Governor of Chekiang should be instructed Memoorialist made inquiries of experienced to make good the deficit, miners in the different places, and they asserted that nothing but mere surface ore
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.