Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-11-17
Money in Stones.

l know several Americans who are study
ing the stones of China with regard to the
American market. l met a gravestone
man from Seattle at Hong Kong two weeks
ago. He had been travelling through the
province of kwangtung looking up GRANTEES
and marbles. He told me he expected to
establish business in Canton for the max
ing and exporting Of tombstones and fine
building stones to the United States. He
says the GRANTEES and marbles of China are
as fine, if not finer, than ours, and that
our workmen are not SO skillful as the
Chinese. He believes he can manufacture
here ten times cheapy as in the United
in comparison.
This man is right about the artistic abil-
lty OF the Chinese in stone cutting. They
make magnificent monuments. They cut
turtles and memorials of various kinds out
of marbles and their work in the Ming
Tomhs and in some of the great bridges
near Pekin is as fine as that of any scup-
tor. 1t seems odd to think of the Confu-
clan Chinese cutting out tombstones for the
Christian cemeteries of the United States
but this Is possibility
How to Get Mines In China.
The chief money to be made here is in
the industrial metals. I am told there are
rrbies, amethysts, sapphires, diamonds and
opals in different localities, but these are
nothing In comparison with the value of
the copper, coal and iron. If concessions
are granted and the country made safe
there will be an influx of foreign pros
pectors as soon as the treaty Of peace is
settled. There will probably be many Amer
leans, and our government should see that
the mining regulations are SO fixed by
treaty that there can be no dispute as to
title and the working of the mines
At present China has bureau of mines
and railways. 1t has certain laws as to
foreigners who wish to open up such terri
tory. but at present these laws are alto
gether In favor of the Chinese.
I have before me the concession of the
Pekin syndicate, which went into operation
two years ago. 1t provides that the prop
erty and all improvements shall revert to
the government after sixty years, and that
the company shall in the meantime pay the
government % per cent Of all its profits
with the exception of per cent on its cap
ital stock and 10 per cent for a sinking
fund to repay the capital invested. In
other words, the syndicate gets 6 per cent
dividend and a 10 per cent sinking fund
before anything else IS paid. OF the bal
ance 1t receives IS per cent, and this is to
60 on for sixty years.
The government also receives a tax of 8
per cent on the cost Of working the mines
and double the usual taxes on the govern
ment lands held by the concession. Similar
regulations are made as to all companies
operating in China.
According to the present law at least
three-tenths of the stock of every foreign
mining concession must be owned by the
Chinese. 1t is impossible to get a conces-
sion where all the capital is foreign. In no
case will the government be responsible for
losses of any kind.
All grants for such concessions must be
sanctioned by the bureau OF mines, and pro-
moters required to show proof of having
capital before their Applicant lions will be
considered. The books OF all mining COM
panes must be omen to government inspec-
ton, and every such company must estab-
iel, cchn Of niraS fnr Chinese
mining engineers.
FRANK G. CARPENTER.