(From the Foochow Daily Echo of 5th Nov.)
H.M.S. Rattler arrived here on 30th ult, Fouchow was enlivened on Wednesday
an eleven from H.M.S, Rattler and the by a cricket match taking place between F.C.C. in which the latter were victorious, There was a good assemblage of ladies in the afternoon, and in the evening the officers and men of the gun-boat_kindly gave a concert at the Frivolity Theatre which was much enjoyed by the community.
Following the nowa we published last week about the scarcity of salt, we now hour that no fresh supplies can' fairly be expected within forty days of the present time. In spite of their best endeavours the authorities have, we understand, been powerless to keep the price down, and against the Into normal price of one dollar for five piculs, only two picula now can be obtained for the same money. This is looked upon asa very serious matter, and one that it is hoped we may pass over without trouble.
The Provincial Judge on his way hom: ed four beggars knocking with their sticks on the door of a shop and demanding cash, He immediately had his chair put down and ordered his retainers to arrest the beggars, who half an hour afterwards received 250 blows exch and were put into cangues. This action gave great satisfaction to the shop-keepers, but alas! a little later in the day the yamen runners' and the tipao called and demanded 6,000 cash each as remuneration for ridding them of the beggars and there was nothing for it but to submit. From what we have learnt of the new Viceroy we are quite sure that he would countenance any such squeezing, but he probably never know anything about it, The accounts that have been coming in of the second crop rice harvest are disappointing in the extreme. From the general appearance of the paddy-field there was, as we stated last week, every prospect of a good yield. Of straw there is, bat the harvesting had no sooner commenced than it became apparent that the grain had been shaken off in the late severe gales, and the crop, instead of ug a yood Pas one, turns out to be wretchedly poor. In some districts the yield is only 20 per cent of the average quantity, in others even less than this, while in sune localities the farmers declare that there is not enough grain to pay the expense of reaping and gathering it in, and that they intend to plough the straw into the ground forthwith. The failure has burst upon most of the growers quite unexpectedly; they had evidently not watched closely the damage done: by storms.
Scsme months ago we drew attention to a tax {hat had been laid upon firewood, agai yet which protests were made qt the time. It was started by certain literati and although not -actuslly sanctioned by the late Viceroy he did not stop it,,, The present Viceroy has now been. petitioned by the promoters to make the'tax law, but 80 far from the proposal meeting with favour in his eyes, ELE. has declared himself strongly opposed to it, and has ordered that all money that may have been collected from the imposition of the tax shall be returned. Firewood is to be free of all taxation, and if he hears of any trouble in connection with the matter he will hold the petitioners responsible for it. It iv said that H.E. Pien wavered, when this proposal was brought before him from some fear of the class to which the promoters belonged: H.E. T'an evidently fears no man and recognises no class in the exercise of his duties as Governor.
There was some talk last year about the unsatisfactory state of the provincial finances and it was said at the time that the idea of the firewood tax, above mentioned, sprang from an invitation to the officials and upper classes gouerally to make eto for increasing the revenue. H.E. T'an takes a different of the way in which the two ends ould be made to meet. Instead of augmenting the revenue by increased taxation he is dying his best to reduce expenditure, and has commenced at the Arsenal. We stated last week that 120 hands had been dismissed from that establishment'; now we hear that as many as 500 have in, ull been away, whereby w saving of sume $40,000 per aunum has been effected. The complaints about the badness of trade have all arisen from the unmerciful squeezing of those engaged in it, and if the expenditure can be reduced and squeezing be alleviated Foochow would again becrime prosperous as of yore,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.