ted
cials, potentialities of Yunnan province and many people
are in favour of abolishing subscriptions to that line. Besides after the completion of the survey no attempt at building the railway was made, but the funds raised for the purpose were loaned out at interest; it is only proper therefore to stop collecting more money.
The cost of the Ko-pi Railway some 80 or 90 11 in length should not exceed $3,000,000 if strict economy be observed. Up to the present that amount has been
fully subscribed, therefore to continue the practice is simply to burden the miners unnecessarily.
47
I have cal-
culated that if the compulsory subscription for both
rallways be stopped the capital outlay will be decreased
by, at least 5% and consequently the output be propor- tionately increased.
3.
Removal of tax station..
Tin tax used to be collected at Mengtze but
aince the establishment of Kochiu district, the station
has been transferred to Kochiu city. In order to pre-
vent smuggling, no tin smelting is allowed outside,
hence all ores have to be transported to the city be-
fore they can be smelted, regardless of distance. For
instance ores produced in Kiachihlung where charcoal is
abundant, has to be transported together with the char-
coal over a distance of a hundred 11 to Kochiu before
the tin can be produced, and places such as Kushan, only
30 11 from the Raolway must do likewise,
The procedure as above stated was justified only
when the Maritime Customs and Railway did not exist in
Yunnan, but with the advent of railways in the province
all tin whether consumed at home or abroad must pass through Pishitsai railway station in Mengtze magistracy;
therefore a tax station established here would render the
smuggling impossible and consequently the restriction that
18
tin must be smelted in Kochiu city would not be
necessary. This would go far towards encouraging tin
mining in the far away districts by reducing the wreces-
sary transport expenses.
534
t.in/
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