Page:TASJ-1-3.djvu/321

 of ore. They receive 4 sen a day and are supposed to make three or four trips to and fro in that time.

In spite of the high quality of the ore extracted from them, the cheapness of labour, and the favourable situation of the mines with regard to the town, it is yet a fact that the Sado mines are worked at a loss. On account of the smallness of the population, and owing also perhaps in a measure to that aversion to a change of locality which is common to all Japanese, all the inhabitants of the island are more or less related to each other, and thus if one obtains an official position, it is generally not long before his numerous relations are all similarly provided. Consequently the number of officials employed in the Mining Office and kenchô as compared with the amount of work to be done is perfectly ridiculous.

Not only do the mines not pay but they are a source of considerable expense to the Government. We actually heard it stated on good authority, the statement being subsequently confirmed on our return to Yedo, that in one year $60,000 worth of gold was forwarded to Yedo, but that in order to obtain this $75,000 were sent from the capital to meet the working expenses. Unless a radical reform be effected one can foresee only one result from a state of things like this.