Korean affairs continue to occupy 1 large space in the daily gossip. One interesting piece of news is that all the mines hitherto owned by the Household Department—in other words an asiette an beurre for the Emperor of Korea—have been transferred to the Department of Agriculture and Commerce, This step has two important results, The Household is deprived secret fund devoted hitherto, it to questionable purposes, which further rendered the Throne independent of the nation: and in the second place the national treasury will profit bya valuable asset. Money is urgently needed at present if any effectual steps are to be taken for the development of Korea's resources.
How much the Throne has hitherto been drawing from the nation which (to quote "The Japan Daily Mail") it seems to have regarded as a sort of Imperial Estate, the greater part of, whose profits go into the pocket of! the Sovereign," there is no means of knowing, but it is believed to amount to four or five millions annually, which is out of all proportion to the national revenue. The question now is to divert some of the Throne's illegitimate income to the better adjustment of taxa- #st. tion, It is expected to increase the national revenue by six or seven million yen annually. The disbandment of the Korean army will effect another saving of about one and, a half million yen.
That disbandment is cruel blow to Korea's national pride. At present it appears unavoidable. But it is to be hoped that Japan will eventually be able to allow the Koreans the legitimate pride of maintaining the defence of their own native land.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.