The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-05-07


The coinage question Is attracting at
S@ntion In nearly every part OF the world.
A very reliable indication that money de-
pends In some measure upon the fiat pow
ar Of government. not TO give 1t value.
but 20 preserve It's reputation. IL that
were not necessary. gold or silver need
not be coined but could be weighed out
and the buyer. accepting 1t In exchange
for his wheat or his labor. must take
chances of getting value in price. In guam
tity and in purity. This would be an alb
surdIiy in practical commerce. People
actually do this. but the government
serves as the weigher. the valuer and The
guarantor OF Its fneness. The frst-named
plan is barbaric. The opposite extreme
is one universal system by which the
came coin shall possess the same value
In every part OF the world. We can
hardly hope TO attain that perfection by
a leap. but the principal commercial ma
rlons can and must come 10 an agreement
between themselves by which a parity of
values shall be maintained between the
two metals which experience has demon
strated 20 be the best adapted for coin
The value having been determined and
agreed upon. the next step Is 20 equalize
the quantity and the finoness OF gold or
silver IN the international mediums of
exchange. so that in all transactions each
shall reprcsen, discriminate and prac-
ttoalIy unvaryinE value.
The agitation now manifest insures a
reader disposition on tho part Of gov
ernments which have too long been con-
trolted BY the interests Eubserved by
mono-meSailism. 1t IS agreeable TO OBJ
United States. Germany. France and
Great Britain. Sweden is awakening TO a
sense OF tho need for concurrent action.
one of that country's leading statesmen
has recently tahulased the silver hold
ings OF tho world. He does not give hts
authorities. but his figures form valu-
able addition to the statistics needed and
now so eagerly sought.
The Scandinavian twho possesses the
Saxon name OF Smith divides the nations
irto three classes. gold bi-metallic and
silver. OF the gold standard countries.
Australia has OF silver ts.oeooo. Austria
Hungary fSSoo.eoo. Denmark S.8a.oo
Egypt SIS Oh. 60. German empire Ssis an. =
co. Great Britain siiaoo 90. Canada s.
GO coo. Norway 81. 70a.o,o. sweden $500. 600
Portugal sfoooos go and Turkey steoo. 90
In all so5. ona.ooo IN colnine value. The
yearly production Of silver In the gold
standard countries amounts 20 only ssS.-
t65. 100 in eoiniug value. or this Australia
produces 81 81 90 and Germany s.. SCI 500
The gold standard countries have popa-
iation o. siA2sSc Their imports have A
value In gold Of $ts5o Sd. o,o against ex-
ports Of s2.sil. ooo.ooo
The silver In the hi-metanic countries
Is: United States ssls So. ~. Belgium,
t4soo. CO. Greece s. ga az Italy So -sa aN1
Switzerland slseo an. France 80 ogn ooo
Spain So. GO. Cuba 81 .ea M Nr,Aer-
lands s5e.eooa an Japsn sstaoeo. uaui
c.@o.cao. altogether &.zsl s,s-.oso In cola
value. The production o. silver in the hi
metallic countries amounts 20 coinage
value yearly OF ahout 81 aea 90. Tac Al-
,netallic countries have population ~
setgs9ooa. Thssr Imports "a sold vaina
amount - st.sss. 81. ~. against exports ot
s. ~. 81. go.
TIE silver standard countries have. az
rroxinately. TIE following stock % silver.
Russia So oAaaoo. lnaia So oso. esa. Straits
settlements. ueaskoaE and ota5r East IN
tsfsn colonies gsva se1 IA, .r-s4a e--- s.s ls,