400
If the mine be worked throughout at the various faces laid open, we could easily keep a 20 head battery going. At the present time we have fully 60,000 tons of Jodestuff in sight, 30,000 tons of which contain about 3 per cent of tin ore and the remainder 2 per cent tin ore, in addition to which we have about 3,000 tons at grass which contain about 3 per cent tin ore. This latter will last a 10 head battery some months, and the former would keep 20 head battery constantly crushing for 5 years. In conclusion. I can only state your mina is turning out fully up to promise, and should be a good dividend-payer if properly equipped.”
Gentlemen, I have given you the exact words of the mining manuger, and it only remains for me to say that, so far as I can judge, the com- pany has in the Rin Lode a very valuable pro- perty. It is true that the property only stands in our books at the value of $62,000, which is less than the amonut actually spent upon it; but you have to remember that that small expenditure represents exceptionally favour. able circumstances of working. In other words, if the Rin Lode at Jelebu had been developed, say, by a London Company, there would have been charged against it the expenses of a Board in London, the expenses of an office, the expenses of a branch office in Singapore, and the maintenance of an administrative staff at Jelebu. All such charges the Rin Lode bas hitherto escaped, since nothing has been put to its debit but money actually expended on the working of the lude. Administrative charges of all kinds have been paid out of the profit and loss of the Jelebu Company from half-year to half-year. I think I may safely say that. at a book value £6,000, you have the Riu Lode in such a condition as would represent many times that expenditure if it had been developed by a Lon- don Company; and you have no charge at all for the concession, which was obtained in the ordinary course of the Company's operations at Jelebu. Well, as to the future, of course cannot judge of a miming property thoroughly until it be subjected to the test of working on a considerable scale. But we are approaching to that test, and we hope that the test will give favourable results. Our min ing manager speaks favourably of the lode, our general manager speaks favourably of it, and all those persons who have visited Jelebu seem to be highly impressed with the appearance of our workings. The most hopeful feature of the situation of course is the price of tin. When we first decided to prospect the Rin Lode at Jelebu, tin was about half its present price,
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and on calculations made when tin was about half its present price we 88 W our way to working the lode at what might be regarded as a fair commercial profit. In the interval the price of tin has doubled, or nearly so, and we are advised by experts that it is considered tio will likely remain at a high price for a long time. Now, the situation in our lode mining is that we do not work by tribute as in alluvial mining, but that we pay a day's wages for a day's work and take our chance of the proceeds. It will be obvious to you that if it were considered possible to work the Rin Lode at a profit when tin was about £60 a ton, it should be possible to work it at a very much higher profit when tin is about £12 a ton. The difference in price, indeed, must chiefly go to profit. Of that favourable change in the situation of affairs you are, however, as well able to judge as I am, and all that I have to say is that we intended to push forward the erection of machinery with all reasonable speed in order to take advantage of the favourable price of tin. If the lode develops in the manner that the mining manager expects, and if the value of tin remains at anything like its present price, it can scarcely be doubted that in the Riù Lode have an exceptionallally valuable property. New, gentlemen, if you have any questions to ask I will be glad to try to answer them.
You
There were no questions; and the report and accounts, as laid before the meeting, were adopted.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
CORRESPONDENCE
[We do not hold ourselves responsible for the
opinions expressed by our correspondents.
THE CHINESE IMPERIAL MARITIME CUSTOMS LONDON OFFICE.
the case.
[May 13, 1899
them three or four married people with families, Thʊse, then, have been compelled to live in places fit for the I.M.C." Braves" only. I will not trespass further on the space of your columns. Yours obediently,
CHAS, A. ROBERTS. Manila Club, 2nd May, 1899.
THE SEQUEL TO THE TUNGKUN INVASION.
"
TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS,”
SIE-I note in your issue of to-day that a rebellion has broken out in Waicbow and Chiu- chow, two districts adjoining that of Tungkan. Having been many years in Chinese Govern. meut Service, several of which were spent in the Chinese Navy, where 1 saw much of the official working of the province of Kwangtung, and having a number of well informed Chinese friends both amongst the official and com mercial classes, I had rather anticipated this outbreak, in fact, more than that; I knew it to be browing many months ago.
This outbreak is the fruit of the recent official
TO THE EDITOR OF THE TI DAILY PRESS," SIR,-A correspondent in your issue of to- day says that there is no similarity between the Hongkong and London offices of the I. M. Custoins, the former being run on the same lines as one of their offices in a treaty port and combining the functions of a police court, inquiry or detective-office, a collection-office, a political agency, and a coast-guards establish- meut, whilst the latter is merely a commercial agency. As regards the Hongkong office he is correct, and he might have added that since the cession of the new territory to this colony they Lave been collecting dues ou goods imported from abroad into British territory, such being |
In saying that the London office was merely a commercial agency, however, he is, I think, under a misapprehension, for if instigation of the armed opposition to the so what commercial business do they transact? | British occupation of the Hinterland, and it is It is true that they order and forward stain this way that the duplicity of the tionery, not to mention the examination and Chinese Government is visited, in the long run, forwarding of duffers for filling vacancies in
on their own head. It was so when they the staff, but there the commercial business secretly intrigued against the French in Ton- ends. A commercial agency would naturally kin and the Japanese in Formosa after the be located in the city, whereas the Customs cession of those two places, for the hands of Loudon office is located within a few paces of marauders they then armed, when driven out all the great Offices of State, the Colonial Office by the Freuch and Japanese from Tonkin and and the Foreign Office in particular coming Formosa-thongh neither of those two places are entirely clear of them yet-wers compelled to resort to Chinese territory; hence it is that Kwangtung, and Kwangsi in particular, have for the past few years been overrun with bands of armed men who from time to time defy the authorities who have called them into exist
within its influence.
At all times, and especially in the event of any crisis in China, there are constant com- munications passing between it and the Foreign Office and Colonial Office and it has become sach a regular thing that when one of the Permanent Secretaries is in doubt as to what advice he is to give the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, or the Se- Cretary of State for the Colonies, as the case may be, he immediately communicates with the establishment at Storey's Gate or intimates
that a call from the head of that office will
oblige. The matter in question is then dis- cussed and there and then settled. Why on earth the British taxpayer is called upon to maintain the very expensive Ministerial and Consular staff in China it is hard to say if they are to be nullified by this Chinese political agency in London.
Amongst the Chinese Customs officials are to be found quite a number of poodles who are related to the various permanent officials of our great Offices of State and whose claims to the appointments they hold are chiefly the fact that their relatives mould British policy in the Far East. Nobody who reflects on the matter will suppose for a moment that a commercial agency for forward ing stationery and incapables will require a manager drawing over three thousand pounds a year in salary and allowances, not to mention several other functionaries paid on a similar liberal scale.
The Customs is not to blame for this state of affairs, bat our own officials, whose laziness or cupidity has allowed them to become as potter's clay in the hands of a man who knows his business, but whose business and interests are at all points conflictive with the interests which British officials are supposed to safeguard and protect.
Hongkong, 4th May, 1899.
OBSERVER.
ACCOMMODATION FOR THE CUS. TOMS OUTDOOR STAFF.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS.”
Dear Sir.-I have seen many injustices and slights practised on the outdoor staff of the I.M.C. before now, but it seems to me that nothing short of gross neglect and indifference has been the cause of the scandalous way they have been put to live in little dog kennels, as your correspondent "Truth" terms them. Months have elapsed since the boundary line was defined; indeed, when I left the service last August there was little else talked of, yet I read that no proper provision has been made for the This concluded the business of the meeting accommodation of the outdoor staff, among
Dr, Lim Boon Keng, the retiring director by rotation, was unanimously re-elected, as was the auditor, Mr. Gunn,
|
ence.
On Saturday afternoon two Chinese gunboats loaded with soldiers were observed to pass through the harbour and out through the Lya- moon Pass. These were evidently bound for the seat of the disturbance.
It was a clever trick on the part of the provin cial high officials to attribute the opposition to the British flag hoisting to the secret societies, and it is quite possible that it may yet succeed in its object, viz., after raising the natives against the British they may get British assistance in exterminating the secret societies, whom they dread. It is the old story of playing off two of their antagonists against each other and then chuckling over the conflict.
The British officials are too fond of running to Chinese sources, such as the Maritime Cus-, toms officials, for their inspiration, and it is not unlikely that it was from this source that the secret society yarn emanated. It is reported, I cannot say with what truth, that it was acting. on the advice of the Kowloon Commissioner that the crazy Canton pilgrimage for help was undertaken.
As regards the secret societies, their members bare truly been very active in arming them. selves under the instructions of their leaders for mouths past, and it is with breech-loading and repeating rifles they supply themselves, at considerable cost, but their object was not to oppose the British but to seize the oppor- tunity, provided them by the Chinese Govern- ment, to arm and organize for rebellion against the Manchu Dynasty, whom they are sworn to depose whenever possible. It is quite possible that this rebellion will be promptly suppressed, but I am inclined to think it will spread for some time; in any case it is the forerunner. · of further troubles and lawlessness throughout the Southern Provinces, fast breaking, away from the control of the Chinese officials.
BRITISHER.
Hongkong, 10th May, 1899.
THE PEACE CONFERENCE. TO THE EDITOR OF THE “DAILY PRIKA”.
DEAR SIR-In you leader of May 10th you remark: " Although China may be allowed sent at the Peace Conference, she will be but a Iny figure, as now that she is known to have no strength she is looked upon with thinly veiled contempt." But is it not this same Force which the Conference proposes to treat with con
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