Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-11-25
WORLDS GOLD PRODUCT
The Fast Fiscal Year Believed to Have
Frcken the Record
interesting. Facts in the Report of the
Director OF the Mint. George
T.. Roberts.

George Il. Roberts, director of the mint,
in his annual report says that the import
ant events of the fiscal year in the world Of
government france have been the consum-
nation of the lCEs-planned resumption of
specie payments by Russia in gold, the re-
organization of the monetary system of
Janan with gold the standard, and the
refusal of the Government Of India to CO.
operate with the government of the United
States and France in an effort to establish
bimetalism by international agreement.
THE gold coinage of the world in 1897
was the largest recorded, amounting in
value to S437 ,719 .342 against s195 500 ,517 in
1896. OF the former sum SAG 622 1874 was
recoinage, and approximately S2S1 1871 ,14s a
net addition to the stock of gold coins.
The principal coinage was by the United
States, Great Britain, Russia, Germany,
Austria Hungary. France and Japan. The
extraordinary coinage of the year is ac-
counted for by the preparations OF Russia,
Austria Hungary ard Japan for their none
tary reforms. In the case of Russia partic-
ularly gold, which has been accommodating
for years, much of it in bars, was passed
through the mints TO prepare IT for crcula-
ton.
Russia's Absorption of Gold.
The completion of Russia's plans of
monetary reform. and the opening to the
uses of commerce of her great gold reserve,
Systematically gathered year by year until
it is the greatest single hoard of treasure
the world ever saw, is in itself most not
able event.
The demands of Russia for this purpose
supplies of the world. Every coin that
Meht iilto heF reser eoir oiopieu out OF
damned nverhnaId in nnidocean1 On The
LIST day of July. 1898, the Russian treasury
held over SIo.Ho.@0 of United States gold
colils' Fp"W ,n ~ Mor.n Vi EI,sllsn soHel,
CONS ana SIX 600 coo in francs besides the
coins she may have previously melted and
a great stock in bars. Now her reservoir is
- 10 '1uuu ~ .',c sI' W.. .uh
eryoir as a war treasury 1t seems i'm
probable that she will do this, when there
are SO many ways IN "!llch the money can
sn,rHnsi IF tsr nat,nIe and tb,Is odd rro.ter
stranotb ~, ~ an al bnnrd ~ e>'
!.Srb, u I,nin,D3at of RnsSia her ,ositior
nc an esnorteT ~ hreadstuffs bnr noIicv Of
doveloning home manufactures will ali
tend to protect her stock of gold and make
use for more but her own gold production
is increasing and unless she is about to en-
tor uDon a period of UNPRECEDENTED activity
and deveiopmcat il seems likely to supply
her needs. One thing is certain, viz: That
whereas she has been laying away aver
age of J"0n1,8'@ in gold annually IN an idle
hoard. hereafter she must absorb and use
her imports actively ana prohtably in bus1-
ness, or oppoftamties III o!heF parts OF tne
world WI! draw IL from her. IL Is worm
thinking ahott mat theIe IS no" no other
government III ne "ofla "hith tfNi ,ii"he
Such drafts on 'he common solo supply as
fsussia mas Ifia"e CURING 'he last zen years
Greatest Gold Production.
..Creo+ as was the worlds nroduction of
ia =. CO. ,,.;ra,. ~ diroo.or
soi" III 1884, N' Ie a1o wa
amounting to the value OF $SbI .3o4so ana
exceeding that of 1896 by S34, S22 800, it is,
Judging nv the returns already at hand
o,.,ai,, .h,,+ ,h, ,,,,,7,,o+ ., 1903 will ha Stu1
1ei '''i 'ii"' 'i'' i'"''U'' Va i'"'' wiz "' '''i
greater
THE returns from South Africa for ten
months show that at the present rate of
rr,dro,ion i+s ,,;o,a mill exo.ad tho y,ia,a NJ
80 ~ 80. N ".'i ~
1884 by &i'N'-'ot' Inc returns from Aus
tralia indicate that its product in 1893 will
exceed the production of 1891 by $40, 3d., 600.