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N°
241.
GOVERNMENT HOUSE,
HONGKONG. 24th August, 1918.
299
8.0.34648
Sir,
~8935/15
4646
ба
37554
་
I have the honour to inform you that
your Circular Despatch of the 26th February and your tele-
gram of the 13th July were considered by the Executive Coun- cil and it was decided that in view of the search for all
kinds of minerals now being conducted by private enterprise
throughout the Colony and New Territories, the Government
would not be justified in inourring the expenditure involved by employing a geological expert for three years, and I telegraphed to you accordingly on the 3rd. August.
2.
Under mining regulations made in 1906
the Colony is divided into eleven mining districts, for which prospecting licences may be taken out; the holders of such licences having a preferential right to mining licen- ces or mining leases for limited areas within the prospect- ing districta.
3.
The prospecting districts have from time to time been carefully explored, notably by Sir C. P. Chater who has employed a number of experts and has sunk a very large amount of money in the venture. Iron has been found in certain quantity, which, in the absence of cheap coal supplies, it does not at present pay to work; and there is also a lead mine, which is being somewhat spasmodically
worked on a small scale.
4.
The recent considerable discoveries of wolfram in China close to the boundaries of the Colony have
led
HE RIGHT HONOURABLE
WALTER LONG, M.P..
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