Kun-cheng is rich in tungsten and yesed to engage 3.000 to 4,000 men in he mines producing 100-to 200 tons of metal monthly. The old method used in all places where the metal easy to obtain has left all the difficult places undeveloped and the workmen, before leaving a place, had the habit' of blocking the entrance 50 at it would be dificult for others to open again. The Government should step in and not allow any company not equipped with modern machinery to open mines.
Coal and iron. play an important fort in the economic system of the provice. Coal is found in many pieces in "Kwangsi but good mines that can be easily worked are few and transportation is very dimeult, For these reason the coal industry hag not been well developed.
Near Si-Wan of Chung Shan there {is a mine estimated to contain rough 10,000,000 tons of coal. This coal contains 28 per cent. of volatile matter, 60 per cent, of fixed carbon, and two per cent, of sulphur. In the Chin Dynasty the government started work on the mine and the old machinery which Chang Che-Tung hed installed is still there, Poor communication stopped the work. Now the mines are worked in a small way by private interests and can only produce a little over 10 tons of coal 2 day. It is conveyed to the "Water Clift" mining district by motor trucks for fuel used in the mines, To stop private concerns opening the mines by old methods and to supply mining companies with cheap power yen-crated on a large scale, the government has decided to instal a steam electric power plant near the mine vasing the locally produced coal for fuel. The power thus generated can be used to open the mines of Fu-Ho-Chung with modern methods, Anthracite Deposits Ho-than in Chien Kiang contains anthracite, It is about 100 Il from the town, but communication is not convenient, so only a limited amount under' 100 tons a day) of coal is transported by motor trucks to Chien Kiang, then by boat to Wuchow. then to Canton, This mine is estimated to contain about 24,000,000 tons of coal. The percentage of volatile matter 15 six per cent, fixed carbon 68. per cent, and sulphur eight per cent. Ne Fo near An Lung has bituminous coal, only the percentage of the Volatiles matter 1s as high as forty per cent. therefore it is not fit for combustible use. The total estimated amount of this coal is about 19,000,000
Iron mines in Kwangsi are worked chiefly by the crude method of break.
it the ore into small pieces, placed in' tall furnace with charcoal used a fuel to smelt it. This process is sometimes repeated three or four times and the iron produced is used we make utensils in the kitchen and tools for farmers. Smaller iron mines ore dotted all over the province, Near Kwai Hsien the mine is rich in hematite which contains 60 per cent. pure iron, This mine is worth devel-aping. If the coal in Na Po can be ured to make suitable coke and trans ported to Kwai Hsien* for smelting the ore, there will be a great future for the mining industry. Only present it is not certain. wheth coal is suitable for this burpes not,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.