Alarmist reports were in the air last week from Fatshan. It was said that the workmen on the railway misen against the engineers, and that the latter had fired in self-defence and kited three Chinese. The truth is that a stone was thrown at one of the engineers who had struck a coolie, but nothing more alarming than this occurred. There has, however, it is true, been a good deal of discontent among the employees of the Railway Company, and this came to a head last Wednesday, when they struck work, complaining that 40 cents per diem was not enough for wages, considering the Tong hours and the great Meat, They demanded a rise of 20 cents, which was refused, but finally. they were given 10 tents rie a man, and matters are quite settled down at present.
The Viceroy's Position Vigtroy io. to be transferred to Chibli The Chinese papers have it that the province, and that ho will be succeeded tither by Yuan Shih-kai or K'uei Chun, Scho was formerly Viceroy in, Szechuan. It is to be hoped that there is no truth in this rumour, and indeed it seems unlikely that Tsen should Be removed when he is obviously doing good work. The latest news of his doings is that he has degraded some more officials, and ft is oven reported that he intends to remote all the Kuangsi officials, high and low, Givil and military alike, who served Winter, his predecessor.
Corruption 'A good example of the universal corrupt tion which prevails in official circles is the case of Pei King-fu, who as Namhoi magistrate roused universal hatred "mong the Cantonese, and who was degraded and heavily fined by Tsen on his arrival. This man has now been appointed as Expectant. Taotai in Kiangsu, which post of course far exceeds in importance his late post at Namboi. Ho is said to have given enormous bribe to the chief eunuch Ti to cedure this position, and this would seem to be the truth. It is no wonder that the reformers should despair irhen they seo the work of a patriotic Chinaman like Tsen undone by the wire-pullers behind the throne.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.