♦♦ July 1, 1903.]
THE CURRENCY DAŊGER.
The following is a copy of th letter sant to The Dɔyen of the Diplomatic Corps, Peking:- Shanghai Gener I Chamber of Commerce,
2nd June, 1905. Your Excellency, I have the honour to bring your notice the enormous expansion in the coining of 10-h pieces, which has taken place during the past 12 months and which is still farther developing The following Pro- vincial Mints are established or projected:
Machines
to
New Total.
Mints Canton...
Old
50
30
80
Fooobow
20
32
Bochow
18
56
74
Hangehow
16
80
96
Nanking
32
32
Hupeh
Hunan
Nganking
Chinkiang
Honau
Ohihli
Sz chuan
Shanghai
Kiaugse
Shantung
36
82981 182 18192
50
40
20
60
6
100
100
82 45-
17 12
11
*These are transferred to Nanking. These figures are only approximate, as som of the m chines under the heading "New' may by now by in working order. Roughly speaking, ont of an approximate total of 816 machin 8, 6) per cont are now working, 20 per cant are in course of erection, and 20 per cent have not arrivel It is estimated that these 846 machines when in full wo king order will absorb (at the rate of 18) picals or 10.71 tons per machine per month) a total of about 9,060 toas of copper per month, or about 103,700 tən3 per year. As one ton of copper will coin into approximately 151,000 ten-ca-h pieces, one year's out-turn of 108,700 tous of copper will yield 16,413 milli a ten-cah pieces, oqual to 40 tən- cash pieces per heal of a population of +0 million people. This rate of production will presumably
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
standard, sinc› otherwise the confidence therein of the population would be destroyed.
These coins did not in the beginning fetch their face value, so they have had a fair start on the downward course of depreciation which can only reasonably be expected to enl in their purchasing power coming down to their intrinsic value, viz., a fall of 50 pr cent.; when or before this is r ached the copper cash, the currency of the people, will have disappeared from circulation and befoe the industry of the country can afford to adjust the big resulting difference, a pзriol of bare subsistence for the people and great slackness of trade will be experienced.
For this reason alone it is of great importance to foreign ra that the curran y of the country should be better regulated.
In conclusion. I beg reference to the R port of the Imperial Maritime Customs, Part 1. Report on Trade of China and Abstract of Statistics for 1914, published 1905, pag. xii and xiii, which treats on this subject. ad I would farthe add that quite resently coins of the face valu of 5 cash have m de their appearance, to which the foregoing applies equally an even more forcibly. I hav's the honour to be, Your Excellency's, most humble an ob dient sirvint.
WILLIAM D. LITTLE,
Chairman
THE KURIL ISLANDS.
WRITTEN FOR THE "DAILY PRESS."} These islands, extending from Yezo to the sinthern extremity of Kamchatka, are interes- ig at the present time, not only becaus they appirent aca the continuation north eastl· of the islands of which the Japanese Empire Loochos, Form and the Philippins fom
tî
long chain, but also beca) from the year, 171 to 1975 they formed part of the Russian Empira, having been handed over to Japan in this latter year in exchange for the southern part of Saghalin. From the notes of Captaiu H. J. Siow, F. R. G. S., we learn the following facts as to the history of the occupation of these Talauds.
fh Kuril Islands were di covere by De
the Russias first invaded the islands, and in 1736 all the to the North of Yetorup (the
be reached in about 5 or 6 months from now, when all minting machinery on order will be duly installed. As regards the cost of pro Vrees, & Dutch uarigator. in 1634. In 17!! dnction, taking as a basis the present p'ec of copper, say
£72
ton per profits of the mints amount to about 35 to 4 per cent of which it appears one third is retained by the Provincial Mint authorities another officials connectel therewith, and two-thirds go to the Viceroys. Although there is n prospect of an orr-supply of these new coins, the danger prevails that:-
immediate
I
1st. Owing to the large profit in th pro luc tion thereof to all concerned, larger quintiti 18 will in course of time b, turned out thin re- quired. Should this occur the new coins would inavitably get a havy disent, ewing thy manifold evils attendant on a depreciate cur- renoy, and most serius dista bauc to all trade,
internal an external.
2nd. The te aptation would crop up t› lower the standard of th coin in order to keep up a high level of profit in the pro luction thereof, should its circulating value "decline. Then the problem of debased as well as appreciated coins would arise, and co fusion become worse con- founded. It may he e be mentioned that the intrinsic metal value of ons 99 per cent, copper 10.cash piece only equals 2/2 old one.cash pieces (made in the reign of the Emperor Kie | Lung 1735-1795, very few of which are now left in circulation, having ben melted dowa owing to their relatively high metal value), 4/4) one-cish pieces male in the reign of the Emperors Tang Chi (1861/7) and the pressut Emperor Kuang H‹ü.
In recent treaties with Foreign Powers China agreed to establish a uniform nationa' coinage; therefore in permitting the Provincial Authori. ties to prod ice these 10-cash pieces in rary. ing intrinsic valus, she is evading her treaty obligations
The purpose of this letter is to request your Excellency to impres upon the Chines) Govern- ment, firstly, the supreme impor ance of ragula ting the supply of 10-cash coins according to the demand since they are token coins and therefore liable to depreciation.
Secondly, the imperative nosity to main tain these coins up to their full aid proper
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largest of the group) became subject to ussia. In 1738 Spab rg, with three small vils, the islan l and winter in examined Kamchatka. In 1766-7 a voyage was made amongst them t collect a fur-tax, and in 1795 the Russian-Amrican Company established a factory ou Urup. the island next to the N E. of Yet rup. Towards then l of the eight th century, the Japanese established themselves on Yethrup, and in 18 6-7, the Russiaus made descents on that island. In Nove abar. 1839, the Russian American Company formally took As before s'ated, in po session of the Ku is. 1875, all th Karilsnorth of Yetorap were han lel over to Japan by Russia in exchange for the southeu partof Saghalio. In 1884 the Japanese removel the few remaining Karilsky Ainu to the Island of Shik tan (48 deg. 50 m. North), thus leaving the Island from Urap to Shum shir without a single inhabitant.
The length of this chin of Kurils is about 6:30 miles and the direction is in nearly a straight line N.E. Practically the whole chain is volcanic and the isla ids are be ́ng push d up out of the sea by volcanic agency. In all there are some twnty-four island: aul numerous rocks cover. in g an arei o 2.86 square mile. In nearly all there are hot spring‹ and active vol a 1083. The only islands at present inhabited are Yetorup, Kunshir an bikotan. In 1891 the total number of inhabi ants was 2,8 36. of whom three fourths ar: Japanese, the rest Ainu and Kanashic are visited during the fishing season-which extend over half the year-by | several hundreds of fishermen who are employed in the capture of salmon an-i salmon troat which are salted down by Japanese.
Y-torup
9
their large soft brown eyes and their lo v musical voices.
Many of the girls ara comely and attractiva, having clear, fair skins, full European-looking eyes, well formed limbs and bodies. “The hairiness of the Ainu has been, I thi ik, m 1c 1ersygerated. As a rule, the Aina min have fine beards and moustaches, which they allow o grow to their They are also hairy about the fullest extent. body and limbs, but not more so than very many European The women are practically free from an abnormal growth of hair, and I have never seen amongst them any approach to the hirsute crop observable on the faces of many women of Southern Europe. This people is fast diminishing owing to its habits of helpless ness, want of spirit, and passion for strong liquor Smill-pox and syphilis play havoc amongst them, whilst the young women with any preten sions to go I lo›k ba ome the mistrasses of the Of animals, the following are to ba Japinage.”
found in the Isladds: bear (the Yexo, Ursua ferox black and brown bar), the wolf; fores (red; black, eross and Yazo); Land otter on Kand. shir and Yetorup; martin. also on Kungshir and Yetorup only; th hare (white in winters; squirrels and rats (on southern islanda only) The sea-otter and lemming in large numbers
•
is found all along the Ku-il chain; the fur seal (now becoming extint); the sea-lion in larg + numbers; the hair-seal, als plentiful; whilst fish and birds boun 1.
The olimate is decide lly moist, though the rain-fall is not large. Tue Spring is coll and bisterous during the early part, north-westerly winds prev il, an there is little fog. Throughout. the latter half, the winds are very variable, with occasional s 10w. rain and fog. Larg, ico-fields are brought across the Okhotsk Sei in February, an these become blocked on the south-west Kurils and east coast of Yezo, and it is some- times well into May before all the ice is cleared from this vicinity. Fog prevails almost con- stan 17 throughout the su umer. Clear spills are of short duration. The autumn if the best seisou, bright, c'er and pleasant, with westerly winds continuing even to the middle of Norimber.
The wint r is old and the prevailing wind is north-west, The nights are very cold, though the thermometer seldom falls to zero fahren- beit.
Such. briefly and generally, is a description of the Kuril Islands, which once formed part of the now rapidly diminishing Eastern Empire of
the once mighty Tsar.
THE GLEANERS
Apparently it is the custom of Chinese beggars to call at native eating houses after meil hours, when they are supplied with customers' leavings. For the last few week、 a female of the order, by a strange coincidence, has day after day put in an appearance at the same eating house as a male, and thus the fare, which otherwis he should have ben the sole
•
A woman's
possessor of, has had to be divided. On Monday he told the woman that he objected t› having his footsteps dogged." Hongkong was wide, and she could surely find other eating hous than those at which he presented himself. He then advised her to leave the one at which they hall just met in Clavering Street. as she wis spoiling his trade. wit. however, accompanied by a han ly brick, with which she s'ruck him on the forehead, necessitated his removal to hospital, where it was ascertained that the wound inflicted was not a serious oas. alon, on the remains of the banquet. but was after wards arr sted and appeared before Mr. . N Orme at the Police Court yesterday to answer a charge of assault. Hi Worship infl cted a fide of $1, and order d that the gleaners should be transport ›d t› Canton.
ACCIDENTS.
She feasted
A fisherman fishing with dynamit, on June 27 blow off both his arms, and if he lives will probably lose his sight.
The Ainu, says Captain Snow, are a broad- shouldered, thick-set, well a t-up, sta wart race, and if washed and combel, might be counted hands me. Taeir shig ry heads and b ard give them a wild appear ince; bat all idea of furɔsity is at onc, dispelle on making their acquintwork at Kowloon on the same day dislodged a ance, wh‹n one notes the gentle expression of 'heavy boulder, which broke his arm.
Another man while doing some excavating
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