THfe tftOPICAL AGRiaULTURiST. [September i, iSgr. 
there most be some experiments which were fatilo, 
especially in a country like that in which they were 
carryicff on operations, and in a class of mining 
never boforfl trieii. To show them the great difficulty 
of transport ho mip;ht mention that one of their large 
washing machines bad cost no less than 21,000 rnpees 
to be conveyed 60 or 70 miles from the river (o the 
place where it bad to be put up. After referring to 
the tolegrBm, dated Rangoon, July 2tid, from The Tiniest' 
Oorresponrieut — in which reference was made to the 
l^resent senson being an unhealthy one throughout 
Burmah — the ohairman stated that during the laflt few 
months the ioformstion whioh they had received showed 
that the oompany's staff were perfectly well, In his 
last letter Major Kunhardt stated that he would require 
no money from England this year, and he felt quite 
sure that, unless any unforeseen expenditure occurred, 
this promise of their chief engineer's would be ful- 
filled. They had very largely increased the number 
of leases which they gave to native miners who did 
not interfere with the company's work, and the 
amount received under this head almost represented 
two lakhs of repees per annum. This would ba suffi- 
cient to carry on their works at Burmah without trench- 
ing on their supplies at home. The only machinery 
now going out to Burmah was several miles of rope- 
way — iron wire — which would be used for carrying the 
ruby-bearing earth to their stations. When the aerial 
rope-way was completed, Major Kunhardt believed 
that their undertaking would be a suoceas and a 
paying concern. It was his firm belief thfit the 
corner had at last been turned, and that an era 
of prosperity would shortly dawn for the company. 
Mr. George B. C. Levcrson seconded Ihe motion. At 
the request of the chairman, Mr. Kirby afterwards 
addressed the meeting, and spoke highly of the work 
whioh had been done by Major Kuahardt, and eK- 
pressed his conviction that, with a little more pati- 
ence, exploration, and assistance, the company would 
be able to produce the fiuest rubies in the world. 
Major Joseph thought the directors should do their 
utmost to obtain a modification of the arranijemeut 
with the Government under which they would have 
to pay a smaller amount for rent, the sum at present 
being, he considered, most oppressive. Mr. E. K. 
Borstal ioqaired what experience Major Kunhardt 
had had of mining, and whether any portion of his 
remuneration depended on results. Ho was sure that 
filching occurred if the ruby-bearing earth could be 
touched by the natives. Having regard to the posi- 
tion of the company, he considered that the directors 
should forego a portion of their fees. He intimated 
his intention of proposing the following resolution:— 
"That, considering the very unsatisfactory character 
of the accounts presented to the meeting, the shares 
holders are of opinion that it is advisable to reduce 
the number of directors and the amount of their 
fees." The chairman, in reply, stated that Mr. 
Burstal's resolution could bo dealt with afterwards 
on the proposal for the re-election of the retired 
directors. Major Kunhardt was certainly not a 
mining engineer in the technical sense of the word, 
but the company's mines were not mines in tho 
technical sense of the word. He was a man of 
all-round ability, and those who had been connected 
with the Government of India or public works there 
knew Major Kunhardt's reputation as a most cono- 
mical worker. They were now negotiating with the 
Government of India to reduce the rent as much as 
they pos:ibly oould. The question of the term of 
Ihe lease would be taken up directly the question of 
the rent was settled. There was no duubt that 
vfhetber they had a formal extension of the term or 
not, they had the right of continuing work at the 
mines as against ail other comers, and this right 
hi'.d been ;ind would be accepted by the Gavorainent. 
They could work the mines as long as they liked for 
years- With regard to tho propored road to the 
mill' K, tlic Government had put it off from mouth to 
nionUi. About a fortnight ago there was a telegram 
in 'J'lie Ti-iiii'x Btnting that another five lakhs had been 
sanction" d for expenditure on the road. Uo only 
hoped that this money would he spent and not be 
swept into the Treasury at the close of the financial 
year, as had happened with other sums of money 
which had been sanctioned for the same purpose. 
With reference to the disposal of the rubies, the 
directors would be pleased to receive a^iy tuggesticns 
from experts. It was a m-ater of great importance, 
but at present he was in favour of their being sold by 
public auction. It was not reasonable for the share- 
holders to expect the directors to work for nothing, 
but if they were dissatisSed they could at any time 
get rid of the directors. A shareholder observed that 
there were too re any directors. The chairman, resn- 
ming, said that this was a point which was about to 
come before them. The number of the directors .and 
their remuneration were set out in the articles of 
association. So far as they now understood from 
Major Kunhardt, all washing was done under the 
direct supervision of Englishmen. Mr. Lookhart, the 
late chief engineer, saii he could not share altogether 
in the view which had been expressed by the chairman 
that the prospects of the company wti'^ satisfactory 
and reassuring. The question of centralization was 
this— the difference between working huge machinery 
at centres and small machinery distributed. He main- 
tained that the better plan was to have smaller 
machines, and that had .'u,.'h macUines been eeut out 
they could have been at work L^ng ago, and rr B'llts 
might have been obtain ;d from all of them. He did 
not think that a dividend cou'd be looked for 
within a reasonable and short time. He did not 
desiro to say anythnis; hostile to the director^-, 
but he did not think they un'terstood the position, 
and he thought tht'y sliould ask a sina'l commi'tee, 
chiefly composed of teebnical men, sntreholders in tho 
company, to confer with them in regard to the method 
of working. Tho chairman, in farther leply, stated 
that the object of the coatralization of the wck, of 
bringing all the earth to large washers at central 
stations, was really to do away with minute supervision 
at a great number of detached and separate places, and 
to allow the supervision to be exercised at main pl-ici^s, 
where it could be more precise and certain. Tho 
resolution was then carried. On tho motion fur tho 
re-election of the retiring directors — Sir J. H. Moiri^ 
and Mr. F. A. Gillam — eousiderabls discussion ensued, 
it b:ing contended thifc the number of directors was 
too large and that their foes were too he-ivy. Tlie 
re-election of Sir J. H. Morris was also objected to 
on the ground that he is a director of ten other com- 
panies. The solicitor read tha clauses in the articles 
of association relating to the number and election of 
directors — ono clause stating that they should be not 
lees than three nor more than ten — and pointed out 
that if the directors were not re-elected, and no one 
else was appointed in their stead, the retiring 
directors would remain in office for a year ; while, 
as regarded the election of new directors, seven days' 
notice ought to be given by the shareholders. Xliis 
view was dissented from by Major Josaph and other 
speakers. The Chairman said he could not put a reso- 
lution which, was illegal, liut he would take an 
expression of opinion from tbo shareholders as to the 
re-election of the retiring dnecfcor*. He then put 
the motion, which was lost on thesho.? of hands by 
an overwhelming majority. — Loudon jTjwes, July 11th. 
Plumbago Mining in the Bentota Di=teict.— We 
were shown on Saturday a m,i<,'!iifieeiit piece of plum- 
bago found in the newly sunk miues of the Ci-ylon 
Gemming and Mining K?ta*es S3 ndic.ate in the Bentota 
district. The specimen in its entirety scaled some 
fifteen pounds, and v;as discovered at a depth of ten 
fathoms, the vein Riving promise of yielding an 
abundant supply of the mineral. Mr. H. Bettison, tho 
engineer of the mino=, 1 aves for E.ijjland on Monday, 
and ou his return will bring with him several Cornish 
miners, who will take up positions as overseers. The 
local Agents of the Syndicate are Messrs E, G. Harding 
and Co. — Local " Independent." 
