NEWFOUNDLAND. 



541 



vessels entering shall pay 'once a year dues at 

 the rate of 24 cents up to 500 tons, 12 cents addi- 

 tional per ton from 500 to 1,000 tons, and cents 

 -additional on every ton over 1,000 up to 2,000. 

 No ship shall pay more than $240 in one year. 

 Ships entering for repairs or supplies shall pay 

 half rates, and Labrador coasting and fishing 

 craft shall be exempt. 



The act respecting marine courts of inquiry 

 confers on such courts the power to inquire as 

 to the conduct of any master who has failed 

 to render assistance in a case of collision. It 

 further provides that the court shall have power 

 to cancel the certificate of a master's mate or 

 engineer if through any wrongful act any ship 

 has been lost or loss of life has occurred; if he 

 is incompetent, drunk, or cruel; if in case of col- 

 lision he has failed to render all practicable as- 

 sistance or to stay by the other vessel until she 

 has no further need of assistance; or if he has 

 refused in case of collision to give the master 

 of the other vessel particulars of his own. 



Finances. The prosperity of the colony in 

 1899 is indicated by the revenue, which is mainly 

 derived from duties on imports. The average rev- 

 enue is $1,500,000, but the year's returns show 

 a marked increase. The revenue for the last six 

 months of 1899 was $1,043,966, being $230,862 

 more than in the corresponding period of 1898, 

 and the largest ever received. At the close of 

 the fiscal year, June 30, 1900, it is anticipated 

 there will be a surplus of $300,000. This advance 

 is largely owing to the increased industrial activi- 

 ties resulting from the operations of the Reid 

 contract, and partly to the abundant fisheries 

 of the year and the good prices of fish in foreign 

 markets. 



The value of the exports in 1898-'99 was $6,936,- 

 315. In the previous year the exports were in 

 value $5,226,933, and in 1896-'97 $4,925,789. The 

 value of the imports in 1898-'99 was $6,311,244, 

 against $5,188,863 in 1897-'98. 



The funded public debt of the colony is $16,- 

 485,878, the greater part of which was spent in 

 the construction of railways and public w r orks. 



The value of the fishery products in 1898-'99 

 was $6,024,931. 



The value of exports to the United Kingdom 

 in 1898-'99 was $1,443,266; to the Dominion of 

 Canada, $541,727; to the United States, $620,056; 

 to Italy, $143,397; to Spain, $88,317; to Portu- 

 gal, $799,649; to Brazil, $1,912,868. 



Mining. The mining industries are making 

 satisfactory progress. Mr. G. P. Howley, director 

 of the Geological Survey, in his last report shows 

 that the total value of the copper ore exported 

 from 1888 to 1898 was $5,907,638, and that the 

 total value of copper ore exported since its first 

 discovery was $10,500,000. The total value of 

 all minerals exported from 1888 to 1898 was 

 $7,829,158. Of this, $1,502,260 was realized from 

 the export of iron pyrites. The story of the 

 copper mine at Tilt Cove, Notre Dame Bay, is 

 remarkable. It was opened in 1864, and has been 

 worked ever since without showing any signs of 

 exhaustion. In the first twelve years it yielded 

 49,719 tons of ore, valued at $1,572,347. The 

 value of copper ore has advanced greatly, and 

 last year the shareholders had a net profit of 

 70,000 sterling. Other copper mines are in op- 

 eration. A new discovery of copper ore has been 

 made at York harbor, Bay of Islands, of which 

 mining experts report very favorably. It is 

 worked by an English company. The splendid 

 iron mine at Belle isle has been already referred 

 to. That portion of it purchased by the Whitney 

 Syndicate is not the whole. Another, though 



probably much smaller, deposit on t,he island in 

 held by another company. Keports of UK; dis- 

 covery of iron ore have been reeeivod from many 

 quarters. On the west (-oast, m^nHic iron on; 

 and chrome iron are found over large areas. As- 

 bestos is also abundant on that coast. Petroleum 

 wells have been sunk, with favorable results, in 

 two localities on the west coast. 



The greater part of the southern peninsula, 

 called Avalon, belongs to the Cambium forma- 

 tion, and contains immense veins of the finest 

 roofing slate. Hitherto these slate deposits were, 

 considered to be of little importance, as the slate 

 could not be exported with profit. But recently 

 it has come to light that all the best slate quar- 

 ries in Wales are approaching exhaustion, and 

 no new deposits are in sight or likely to be found. 

 The consequence is that from 15,000 to 20,000 

 Welsh quarrymen are likely to be thrown out of 

 work ere long. Much anxiety is felt regarding 

 their future, and the Welsh slate capitalists are 

 looking round for new fields. Their attention has 

 been drawn to Newfoundland. On the shores of 

 Smith's Sound, Trinity Bay, is a large deposit 

 of roofing slate. Charles D. Walcott, Esq., di- 

 rector of the United States Geological Survey, saw 

 this slate quarry last summer. In his report he 

 says : " In my opinion, this is one of the great 

 roofing-slate deposits of the world, comparable 

 with that of North Wales and the American de- 

 posits of Washington County, New York, and 

 Rutland County, Vermont." This quarry has 

 lately been sold for $25,000. At Bay of Islands is 

 another fine deposit on one of Mr. Reid's land 

 concessions. 



Gypsum of the best quality is found on the 

 west coast in immense masses. It is also rapidly 

 advancing in value. One gypsum property in St. 

 George's Bay was lately sold for $30,000. It will 

 be worked on a large scale in 1900. 



The Seal Fishery. The seal fishery of 1899 

 was fairly remunerative. Eighteen steamers were 

 employed, having a tonnage of 5,730 tons, and 

 carrying 3,502 men. The number of seals taken 

 were 268,541 ; gross weight, 6,280 tons. The great- 

 est number of seals was brought in by the steamer 

 Neptune, 32,134. 



The Bank Fishery. In 1898 the number of 

 vessels employed was 74; number of men, 1,000; 

 tonnage of vessels, 4,224 tons; codfish caught, 

 74,002 quintals. 



The French Shore. The Imperial Government 

 appointed a commission in 1898 to report on the 

 operation of the treaties and the condition of 

 the people on the treaty shore. This report has 

 not yet been published. The modus Vivendi ex- 

 pired on Dec. 31, 1899. It is expected that it will 

 be renewed for another year when the Legislature 

 meets in April, 1900, so as to afford further time 

 for negotiations. 



Events. Early in March Lieut.-Col. Sir Henry 

 Edward McCallum, R. E., K. C. M. G., arrived as 

 Governor of the colony. He was an officer of 

 distinction, who had been Governor and com- 

 mander in chief in Lagos. When there he had 

 been sent on a special mission to the Hinterland 

 in connection with French aggression, for which 

 service he received the thanks of her Majesty's 

 Government. Previously he had been colonial 

 engineer and surveyor general at the Straits Set- 

 tlements and commandant of the Singapore vol- 

 unteer artillery. Since his arrival in the colony 

 he has become very popular, having taken a deep 

 interest in public affairs and shown zeal and 

 energy in promoting the best interests of the 

 people. In the summer and autumn^he made 

 tours around the island, calling at the principal 



