CO129-302 - Public Offices - 1900 — Page 291

f

284

copy of a letter from the Colonial Treasurer rospecting the

charges of the Birmingham Mint for the execution of recont

orders from this Government for subsidiary coins, together

with a copy of the statement therein enclosed.

In my previous letter I invited your attention

to the excessively high charges made by the Birmingham Mint

as compared with those of the Royal Mint, and I have now to ask your further attention to the item "Inspector's charges

for supervising manufacture" to which the Colonial Treasurer

specially refers with a view of obtaining an explanation of

this charge.

You will observe from the Treasurer's remarks

that unless a substantial reduction of the charges made by

the Birmingham Mint can be obtained, this Government is

threatened with a loss on the transactions in question.

There is also the further prospective loss to

the Revenue of the Colony to be considered, in the event

of the Royal Mint being unable to execute orders for coins

for this Government as the present high charges of the

Birmingham Mint render it impossible to make a profit on

the sale of these coins.

I have &c.

20.

(Sa) J. H. Stewart Lockhart

Col: Secretary.

-5-

Col: Treasurer

!