The scarcity of rice in Kuangtung province and the high prices prevailing have in several districts led to riots. In Shekloong the rice hongs were raided by the prince just when there happened to be a ull stock on hand, and property amount-in all to a value of about $80,000 was stolen or destroyed. In Sanhui also the rice hongs were raided and four men were killed. In other places similar riots have taken place. At Canton the charitable institutions are selling rice to the poorer classes at the rate of 40 catties for $1, which is considerably below the market price. A portion of the rice so disposed of has been brought down by gunboats from Hupeh and Hunan and a portion consists of grain seized by the authorities while being illegally exported, the export of rice from China being prohibited.
Japan is purchasing a great quantity of rice at present, and the Chinese dealers have devised a means by which they can profit by the demand from that quarter. Although rice cannot be. exported from China it can_be shipped from one treaty port to another under bond. The rice merchants at Shanghai, we are informed, have accordingly applied for permission to. ship rice to Canton, giving as their explanation of the. large quantities going forward that there: is. a. famine. in Kuang tung and that unless rice is procurable arebellion will inevitably break out. Steamers are therefore dispatched heavily laden with rice. for Canton under bond, but when they arrive in Hongkong a' large Japan, and inferior rice, paddy, and husk, tion of their cargoes is transhipped for
taken on board to make up the deficiency. About a fortnight ago a steamer arrived in. this harbour with about 18,000 piculs of rice ostensibly for Canton and landed fully half the amount here for shipment to Japan, and since then several other steamers have done the same. Tho'business is attended with considerable risk, for. if the trick were discovered by the Gustoms at Canton not only would the bond be estreated, but both the cargo and steamer would he liable to confiseation.—Hongkong Daily Press.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.