The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-10-13

Funny Stories of China's Trials with Sill
yer Money.

mont as one or the aDleil Contributes
during his consular service TO the re-
ports relating 10 trade and economic COM
ditlons which that department has Tor
years been publishing for the benefit OF
commerce. Dr. Bedioe Is an earnest OPP
ponnt Of silver monomctall.sm. lie de-
claros that the tree coinage of silver by
the United States means nothing else, and
be insists that the experience OF the
civilized world. as we'll rs conditions oX-
isting In the orient, offer every argument
against such change In our monetary
standard. Dr. nedloe said in an inter-
view to-day.
"Thoorcucal discussions are never ~
cood as practical demonstration. China
has been a silver country from tme
immcmoriaL It's trade transactions are
measured i'm taola a tact Is about the
equivalent of one troy ounce. Where We
say that o. coin shall contain so many
grains OF pure silver ard the remainder
shall Dee alloy. the Chinese system Is basel
upon just so many grains Of the pur-
metal What is the result or this system
after centuries of use2 First, there IS no
coinage. They have tried il. but Che rise
and fam i'm the value of silver has made
the coins of different value from time
To time They. therefore. accept all coin-
and make none of their own.
"They also accept as currency slugs.
irrots. and bars of the white metal. and
measure them i'm what corresponds 70
ounces and penuy-woights. The value o.
silver coins depends partly unon their
woi-ht and partly upon their iinoncss-
that is. the amount of pure silver con-
tanned IN the coins. The standard coin
of the cOuntry-thc coin D." which ac-
counts are kopt-is the Spanish dollar.
Strange as &c may seem, the Spanish dol
lar is as rare i'm that part of the world
as 50 gold piece is In this country. IT,
WEIGHT and nncncss have caused u 10 De
bourht ND by jewellers and put into the
melting not. Next 10 that is the Ameri-
can trade dollar. which is to be foune
I'm every part OF the Chinese empire. Inc
commonest coin Is the Mexican dollar OF
which there must be several hundred NIL
lion I'm use I'm China. Besides these lhete
are Peruvian soils, s,'''s ~ l.',1l'oi'
pesos Of Colombia. boliyiana3 oil bohNi"'
Iaronesa vens. Canton dollars. Indian
rupees Central American pesos ri.ai-'-.
crowns. half crowns. ana snlllinss, anu
,,ranch German. Spanish, and America.
subsidiary coinage. None of these COINS
mass for their face value. Every coin l.
WEIGHED. and. to prevent counterfeitin>.
is tested. not with acid, but with nam
r,.r and anvil = good silver coin stahd-
t.i4 tough treatment and becomes Den.
int, ID rounded or COnical shape called
. .hop dollar. Most c0untericlis undr-
tbis treatment crack OF even break 10
pieces. t.... Co..
.Tbo result is that nearly all coins liz
tn.. l.a.t are chopped and disii5ured' Jul
of loo silver dollars YOU get at the DANE
at least 90 are chopped, ana range -
apu,arance from the shape OF VIZ. =
crystal 20 that Of sharp cone. In iAA4-
inc dsposlts nearly everything becomes
,r.,etional. You send To the bank what
,.o,, mink lis $780, and the banker, money
rhanrer. or merchant nnui III Is Noi "a
sa, and a fraction, or so ana lr"c'loi- -
Iu similar fashion the unfortunate "o'|.
inofnan is always deprived OF sNlt
n4rt of his wages I'm that country j.
Srots from s. TO S. per month"; an" Is PAN
Am chop Mexican or chop TRADE uol'"' p
which are really from 10 ~ per cent
below par ...,...
"0n account of the variations IN Valle
of tno white metal. although IL Is NJ
nouin,l LEGAL standard OF values IL Is
really measured ln terms OF little bfAsl
and coppcr coins called cash one lhoN-
s.rd of these are supposed TO make y
normal dollar. blt they vary almost io''
I.,t dav. When silver goes up il pilce'
,.,, DID NOR cont dollar is worth cleNe!
| t.,,gr.I cash. When it goes down ~
,.l,o ii is worth as low ass nine uuil"i -
,.eh IL is very much as il our I'F'i'-
mont should coin or stamp these COZ
diets 10 represent mills lA.re nm,
would be the real mon tary un4t Oh o.
conntrv. just as the 'cish Is ei,' -
'--- 80 feur hundred millions OF huna =
tI. Gill flIf
ls.ncs I'm China. ON this basis our silN'L
dollar to-day. We VIII say Is OF" -
hundred cents or one thousand MINIS ''o
COINAGE of silver az the existing ii'l -
value of tie white metal say my -.'',
cents % q dollar. would chthse 'S w. ~.
I'm mills from one tHous"Nu ~ o''''
hundreds and thirty. 1900. ,,,o..
.Ou one occasion our consulate N. Ai Az
toa ia oversee the payment ol >l''V,1 III
f,,ir,tion i'm that part Of China. In-
- ,-,ve notice forty-eight hours ~
ad,ance and the payecs engaged speci"i
...o,rtarfs 10 receive the money. On
tho amounted day and hour the money
,y.s delivered. lt was brought IN BAGS
! lf,o potatoes each bag Weighing aDo--
rf.v Mounds and carried by two mei.
There were nineteen bags Of silver thlr-
tv-oiobf carriers. five guards, one Secrc-
torv ana ono tallyman. The Secretary
and guards then opened one Dag ana pour
ed us contents into a great scale. IL was
WEIGHED carefully aud the weight re-
corded by the Secretary and the fecelV-
ing teller. The latter's clerks then wen.
over every piece of metal. throwing our
those which We're questionable or or a
very low standard of quality. This was
! done with the nipeteen bags successiVei-
and took nearly two hours. AT the emo
Of that time the account was found cor
rect with the exception OF eight ounces
and three penny-weights OF materia.
which had been rejected by tho coun' y.
There was a quarrel over this. when
resulted I'm the receiving teller accepting
onc-haf. The Secretary then made sood
the other half. securing a receipt rom
IN, teller. and went away. This closed
| the transaction. which In our own land.
or In any other land upon gold basis.
would have been done in few minutes
with a piece Of paper In the form OF q
| check or draft. or IN ten minutes II II had
| hcen I'm gold coin. and would not have
I required more than n man and snail
| boy TO accompany him.
when you go out shopping In tina.
| csantry you must have with you twenty
! or twenty-five pounds OF silver and five
or six pounds of copper cash. These
| are usually carried by your man servant