6
The actual cost will be 150,000 Lanchou taels, and the freight from Belgium to Lanchou plus miscellaneous expenses at the works during the first year will be 50,000 taels, a sum total of 200,000 Lanchou taels. This is a definite bargain and not subject to alteration. When the machinery has arrived in Kansuh, and been set up, M. Splingaerd guarantees its daily refining capacity to be 10,000 catties of refined copper. He further guarantees that the copper ore in Fêng Huang Shan can be worked for twenty years without exhausting it. After one full year, reckoning from the day on which the work starts, if the Bureau is obtaining big profits, it will refund to M. Splingaerd the 200,000 taels incurred by him on account of machinery, freight, and other expenses. If the output of copper in one year is insufficient to meet this sum, the Bureau shall be allowed after the first year to reckon up the amount of its profits from time to time, and according as they are large or small, make periodic payments against this sum due for machinery, M. Splingaerd has agreed with the Bureau that, while this sum will ultimately be paid in full, the Bureau will not be bound to pay it within any fixed time, nor may M. Splingaerd demand the least fraction of interest on this sum from the public of Kansuh.
Art. 2. When the machinery bought by M. Splingaerd has arrived at the Fêng Huang Shan copper works, the furnaces will be built, houses erected, freight on the journey and also the employment and board of foreign workmen and miscellaneous expenses all paid out of the 200,000 taels-the cost of the machinery. The public of Kansub will not furnish any funds. Also the machinery, no matter what method be used, must produce daily 10,000 catties of copper ore; the amount may be more, but it must not be less. The deputy's salary, as also the coal and charcoal used daily, will be provided by Kansuh.
Art. 3. The Fêng Huang Shan copper mine has not foreign shares of M. Splingaerd's. The machinery was bought by, and is the property of, Kansub. M. Splingaerd is an employé, engaged by Kansuh, to manage the machinery. Everything in the copper works is under the arrangement of the Director of the Burean. M. Splingaerd may act only as head of the engineers and workmen to see that they do their work with energy; with other matters he may not interfere.
Art. 4. This Agreement has been deliberated and decided upon by both parties, who have signed their names to it as a rough draft. Application will be made to the Shen-Kan Viceroy that he memorialize the throne for permission to work, and if that is obtained this Agreement will then hold good. If permission is refused, this draft Agreement will then become waste paper.
Art. 5. M. Splingaerd has grown up in Kansuh and has a good reputation, and since Kansuh has engaged him to manage the machinery and obtain the first produce of this copper mine, he is expected to co-operate in a friendly way with the Deputy and the local officials, and to seek the common weal. As regards the profits of the said copper mine, after defraying the cost of the machinery and the miscellaneous expenses, they will, whatever the amount remaining over, be divided into ten portions, and one portion will be presented to M. Splingaerd as a bonus for encouragement. This Agreement, however, is for a year's experiment. If the cost of the machinery is paid back withiu that time, the method of conducting the enterprise will be again deliberated upon and another Agreement drawn up. M. Splingaerd's proper salary will be the same as in the old Agreement, and will be paid monthly. No pretext for going elsewhere will be allowed.
Arı. 6. Of this Agreement seven duplicates in Chinese have been made, one to be placed with the Wai-wu Pu, one with the Board of Agriculture, Works, and Commerce, and one each with the Shen-Kan Viceroy, the Kansuh Treasurer, the Kansuh Judge, the Chief Bureau of Agriculture, Works, Commerce, and Mines of Kausuh, and M. Splingaerd as evidences of good faith.
(Signed)
February 4, 1907.
FENG, Treasurer.
PAI, Acting Judge.
LANCHOU TAOTAI PENG, Director Kansuh.
of Chief Bureau of Agriculture, Works,
Commerce, and Mines of Kansuh.
A. SPLINGAERD, Belgian Secretary of Legation.
7
Inclosure 3 in No. 1.
Extract from the "Han Pao" of May 16, 1907.
Sale of Kansu Mines to a Belgian Trader.
14
LAST year Viceroy Shêng gave a contract for opening up some mining property in Kansuh to a Belgian of the name of Splingaerd (Lin Tzu-mei") and granted him permission to establish sugar, candles, oil, and wine companies. M. Splingaerd then proceeded to Shanghae to buy machinery for starting work. However, on his way back to Kansuh he died suddenly, and we now hear that his son has sold the Agreement to a man of other nationality, and requested Viceroy Shêng to recognize the transfer. Sheng has allowed another Agreement to be drawn up by which, as we understand, even greater advantages have been given away than by the former Agreement. The Shensi and Kansub students in Japan have heard of the matter, and are greatly alarmed. The telegrams they have sent on the subject to the Wai-wu Pu and the Viceroy of Shen-Kan run as follows:-
"To the Prince, Grand Secretaries, and Ministers of the Wai-wu Pu,
"We hear that Kansuh mines have been sold to a Belgian trader, a most astounding piece of news, What happened in Shensi is a warning. The scholars and people of the two provinces will never recognize the sale. Viceroy of Kansuh to cancel the Agreement and give the working to Chinese, so as to We beg you to order the avoid trouble in the future. Petitioners are the students of Shensi and Kansuh in
Japan."
"To his Excellency the Viceroy of Shensi and Kansuh.
"We hear that the opening of the Lanchon mines has been given to a Belgian, and are astounded! With Shensi mines as a warning, the students and people of the two provinces will never recognize the transaction. We beg you to cancel the Agrec- ment and give work to Chinese, so as to avoid troubles in the future. Petitioners are the students of Shensi and Kansuh in Japan."
We hear that since this Belgian has got the concession for the Kansuh mines, onlookers of other nationalities all want to have a finger in the pie. On the top of this, the Viceroy of Shen-Kan is very stupid and not versed in business with foreigners, so he is always getting done in the eye. For instance, a certain foreigner contracted for 186,000 taels to make an iron bridge over the Yellow River. Shêng agreed, and gave him an advance of 20,000 taels to buy the necessary materials. To his surprise, once the foreigner had left, he disappeared. The Viceroy inquired about him of the Consul concerned, but the latter refused to admit the man's existence. That was one case. Then again there was a contract with a foreigner to run the woollen factory, who got an advance of 50,000 taels to go to Shanghae and purchase machinery. The foreigner at once went and bought over 400,000 taels' worth, and wired to Sheng to remit the money. On receiving the wire, Shêng had at the moment no money to send, but as the machinery had actually been bought and could not be returned, after much discussion to and fro, his Excellency got the matter settled by agreeing to pay a certain forfeit. So this woollen factory scheme also tell through. This will give some idea of his Excellency Sheng's way of managing foreign relations.
0
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.