218
all sufficient, there is reasonable prospect of the Public supplying it with enough silver to keep it in successful i.e. paying operation. On that, the all important point the I may add that if the Government were to lay in a stock of bullion for such purpose it would generally suffer heavy loss thereby in interest which no probable profit on Commission unless holds out no hope that under rare and exceptional circumstances unlikely to recur - or, if recurring, not likely to be of long duration - Can it be expected that the Public will pay a Seignorage for conversion of silver coin or Bullion into Hong Kong dollars. The Commission further concludes that neither the Government nor the general Public can purchase bullion and profitably coin it here, to which could repay.
III. The Commission likewise regards as chimerical all attempts of the Government by any amount of coinage to force Hongkong coins to a premium as might eventually render it's manufacture profitable - I need scarcely say that I only suggested that theory for consideration because, having been held by many others, Inquiry to be complete should include it.