work, proves that a stranger who simply walks through the Mills and stays in China for a few days in qualified to speak on the possibilities of the Chinese Cotton Mills. Mr. Downs should have pointed out that the fills here were hav- ing to face difficulties which the Indian Mills experienced 20 to 30 years ago.”
THE INDIAN COTTON INDUSTRY.
(CONTRIBUTED),
Messrs. Noel Murray and Co., of Shang. hai, in their weekly report on the Indian yarn trade dated the 25th November, write as follows:-
"The vindictiveness displayed by the In-iian mills in swamping the China markets with yarn at prices that the majority lose money on -judging by the poor return they make to their shareholders-is greatly to be deplored,” &c., &o., ko.
do
do
I am inclined to think that it is not vindio. tiveness, but sheer and hard necessity, caused by overproduction, which compels the Indian producers to flood our markets. India and Africa are very poor outlets and China is the Ultima Thule of Bombay spinners. In spite of plague, famine, and other obstructive causes the industry is yearly increasing. Let us glance at the following figures India possessed in. 1'95-148 Mills running 380,99,29. Spindles and 85,838 Looms 1:99-155 do
393 29,46.
87,170 do 1897-173 do
46,56,18.
87,584 do 1818-145 do
428,07,20. do 38,613 do 1899-188 do
472,83,3.
do 39,69 do These 188 mills represent a capital of over 14 crores of rupees, and it is rather unreason. able to suppose that with such an enormous amount of capital looked up in a single industry the Indian spinners will placidly sit down and regard with equanimity the growth of two of their most formidable competitors. The days of the milineum have yet to come; while we have to reckon with hard facts.
mean-
|
THE HONGKONG WEBKLY PRESS AND irregular body of ore going off to the east, and as it goes north is bears east at an angle of 20. degres. This ore boly carries f ir, gold for a long distance, and shows minch better in bottom than it does in back of drive. The pumping engine with 8 inch pump for sinking the main engine shaft is finished, and we shall re- sume sinking this, shaft ons. Monday, next. The present depth of this shaft is 98 feet, I intend to sink it to a depth of 160 feet and | open out the first permanent level at that depth. This will give an average of over 100 feet of backs to stope below the old-native workings. The double action 8 inch steam pump will keep the old workings free from water; while the inch pump in the shaft will keep the shaft also free from water. I am afraid tuis is going to bo a very wet mine, as it is surrounded by extensive swamps.
BUKIT KOMAN BECTION,
Desember 9, 18007.
BATTERY,
The usual general clean-up for the months of September and Qotqber took place on Monday last, the Blu instant, and resulted in a return of 1,668 oss, 5 dwts. () grs, of smelted gold from 2,007 tons of ore. This is several hundred tons below the usual quantity crushed, and was caused by the loss of four days repairing, the machinery: the time of crushing, being 7. weeks and 3 days. The following is, the, quantity of ors. crashed from the different mines—Bukit. Ko man, 1,865 tons; Bakit Kitam, 142 tons. Iotal 2,007, tons
,,
The yield is hardly up to the usual average. owing to the great width of crushing stuff we are taking. Considering the enormous bodies of ore that we are working without any selection, I consider the return a splendid one, and few mines in the world,, working under similar conditions, can show a better result.
ELECTRIC INSTALLATION......
.
All
NEW 40 STAMP · BATTREY, - The erection of the new Millis, practically completed. We are now putting in the tables and are completing details. I hope in the course of a month or six weeks to have the naw. battery ready for work.
WM. BIBBY, manager,
JELEBUS.
WHY HAS THE STOCK FALLEN ? WHAT THE DIRECTORS SAY,
Singapore, 27th November. Since there have been many rumours in the
The main shaft, No. I level north, has been cleaned up and burst of water and slash which On the Sempan Section Only very little filled the level for nearly 100 feet has been made, progress is being, made with the work, an secure. A deviation had to be made to the this, owing to the difficulty of getting trans west to avoid the bad gound. About 40 feet port. All the work, except putting the pipe have been driven north since we started. || line_together and, erecting the generating, The face of the drive is in hard black slate machinery, is completed.
We are experi: with quartz leaders through it carrying a encing considerable diffunity in getting, trans- little gold. This level is now in 814 feet from port of the heavier parts of the machinery from the orossoat. A crosscat is being driven east Kuala Kubu to the Power station at Sempam, at 160 feet north of the main crosscut in aand to Raub, owing, to, most of the bullooks. leader formation carrying fair gold. This drive dying from rinderpest and foot-and-mouth. is in 26 feet. The south end, same level, is now disease. This will cause a delay of at lost two in 1,240 feet from the main orossout, Bukit months in starting the new machinery Koman shaft, and 90 feet south of the No. 1 work is finished on the cable track, between south shaft. The lode in the face of the drive Sempam and Raub, and between the Trans-- is abant 3 feet wide and a good deal disturbed. forming Station and Battery Pump House. It carries a little gold, but is not payable. Stopes over the back of this level are crushing stuff. I find most of the old-and supposed to be worked-out-stopes will have to be worked over again, as large bodies of ore. are being found outside of what was supposed to be the main ore body. These discoveries add materially to our reserves of ore in this seo- tion. No. 2 Level.-In the north end we are driving a crossout under the No. 5 north winze. We find there are several bodies of ore all carrying gold. This makes the ore re- serves in this section vary much greater than was estimated. In the south end of this level there are three faces driving on the lode, all carrying fair gold: The face going south from where the lode was first cut is in about 50 feet -the lode being about 5 feet wide in the face, No. 1 North-Engine Shaft-This Shaft is one of the four main engine shafts which will even. ually be connected at different levels. (No. 1 South is already connected with the No. 1 Sonth Bukit Koman level) giving working command over from 6,000 to 7,000 feet on the line of lodes. This shaft is 1,220 feet north of the Bakit Ko man main shaft and the same distance from the main Bukis Jelis engine shaft. The shaft is now down 82 feet in a large body of ore carry ing fair gold. I cannot say what lode it is as I did not expect to cut quarts in this shaft since The Manager's Report for the month of I located the shaft a good distance to the west October last runs as follows :-
of the line of the Bukit Koman lode. The lode appears to be a big strong one, the whole shaft being in quarts, with no sign of our being through it. It is underlying west, which is in the opposite direction to the Bukit Koman lode Whatever it may prove to be, it is a big strong ore body, and carries good gold. The shaft is making a good deal of water. The Bukit Ko man lode has been worked extensively by the natives on the Bukit Jelis Ketohil for over 100 feet wide,
The truth is, this is simply a question of long purse and survival of the fittest. Already two to three large mills in Bombay and about five to six in the Moffusil have collapsed and other ricketty concerns will follow suit. Only the other day there was a very stormy meeting of the shareholders of an old and large concern in Bombay, when, amidst a shower of choicest Billingsgate to the directors and agents, sticks and umbrellas were nearly put in requisition, and the President had to postpone the meeting. Amongst a variety of other cause the bane of excessive production iu India is the pernicious system of a quarter anna commission on every pound of the gross output to managers and promoters in some of the mills, whilst the sys- tem of low wages and allowance in some of the large Indian establishments in China may be accountable in no small degree for incessant heavy shipments.
RAUB.
REPORT FOR OCTOBER.
RAUB HOLE SECTION.
•
ALPHA.
The winze below the 220 foot level is now down the required depth of 102 feet, and I have started to open out to see what the small. rich chute of gold is lik: at this depth-322 feet. A short time should test its value. The crosscut going in east from the 220 foot level is now in 35-4 feet, the face being hard black slate and dry. The small prospecting shaft to test leader for- mation is down 57 feet. I will open out at 65 feet. We still continue to cut small gold-bear- ing leaders in sinking. There should be some good gold got in the bottom of the old workings. which were very rich when worked some years ago,
BUKIT HITAM.
Prospects in this section still continue very good. The main drive going south is now in 36 feet from main pump shaft. The lode in the face of drive has widened to 3 feet and carries good gold all through. This lode has already proved to be payable over a long distance -639 feet from north to south--and has every appearance of extending indefinitely to the south There are many thousands of tons of good ore exposed in this mine. The work so far done is entirely of a prospecting nature. In the inter- mediate drive going north-there-is-
large
market, during the last day or two, about the shares of the Jelebu Mining and Trading Com- pany, Limited, it seems proper to state the follow- ing facts which have been obtained by enquiry from Mr. Joaquim, the Chairman of the Com- pany, and Mr. Reid, a director.
After numerous unexpected; and acoidental delays with machinery--the delays that seem to it was expected to have started crushing at take place everywhere from Raub downwards--- Jelebu this month. As-a-preliminary to crush- ing, the services of an experienced tin-dresser, a he arrived. When he arrived he said in sub- highly-technical officer, had been obtained; and stance, "But where is the water for the tin dressing? This water supply that you show me will not keep us going for more than four hours ont of the twenty four. There followed tele grams and letters, and it is to be feared there may follow recriminations, since the Board will Meanwhile, the Board have ordered, and, we think, ask certain explanations from persons on the spot. have despatched the most powerful steam pump to be had in Singapore with two boilers to work it; and with that steam pump they propose to adjoining river, the pipes take water from an to connect the dressing house with the river baving also been sent. There is unlimited - water in the river. This arrangement will In this section the tunnel has been con- suffice temporarily, at all events; although, if nected with the engine shaft at the Adit Levef. additional heads of stamps are to be put down, This gives command of some some thousands further outlay will, no doubt, be-required either of tons of crushing stuff in the hill, At the 150 for more pumping machinery or for obtaining foot level, we are driving north on three bodies | additional water by gravitation and by cons of stone. No. 1 is in 30 feet from the crosscut. structing additional reservoir accommodation. This will come under the drive in the prospect: As the funds of the Company, openly and ing shaft, and, as soon as we are in far enough admittedly, were only sufficient to last them 60 feet will rise up and connect with the until crashing began, without further outlay on prospecting workings. Nos, 2 and 3 are being machinery, it is not improbable that additional driven on two very promising bodies of stone capital may have to be raised. If that should carrying a little gold Both these bodies of be necessary, the directors do not anticipate stone are improving but are hardly payable any unreasonable difficulty in obtaining if, al- yet. No. 2 is in 57 feet, and No. 3 54 feet, though the situation is slightly complicated by from cross-cut. The water still continues heavy the fact that, just at this particular moment, at this level; and takes two 8-inch drewlifts, on the lode at one point has disappeared. However,
a 9-inoli stroke, to keep it down.
BUKIT JELIR.
Usterky
|
|
|
F
Page 10Page 11