CO129-344 - Public Offices & Foreign Office - 1907 — Page 387

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whether coinage was to be carried out at one central

mint or by the existing provincial mints must be de-

termined by local considerations, but that it was es-

sential, if the provincial mints operated, that they

should do so under central control.

In November, 1905, an Imperial Decree was published

sanctioning the immediate introduction of a uniform

silver currency, with a coin of the weight and value

of a Kuping tael as a standard unit.

Subsequently a memorial of the Finance Commission

was issued requesting that restrictions should be

placed upon the output of copper coin from the pro-

vincial mints, the representations made as to the

danger to be expected from the unlimited coinage of

the new tan cash picces having evidently begun to bear

fruit.

No information on the subject has reached me since

and, as far as I am aware the Decree ordering the as-

tablishment of a uniform silver currency with a stand-

ard unit remains a dead letter.

I