The most talked-of topic of the day is the soaring price of rice which has reached a figure unprecedented in the history of thi country, not to say in the annals of Shanghai. All sorts of recommendations have been made both as regards methods for the temporary relief of the pressing situation and with respect to efforts towards the fundamental solution of the food problem. To meet the exigencies of the present case, it is urged that export of rice be rigorously and rigidly prohibited, purchases on military account be: peremptorily stopped, cheap sale depots be considerably increasei, stocks, whether held by the authori ties, merchants, or private individuals, be ruthlessly pooled and fairly divided among the populace, and the habit of eating bread be systematically encouraged? or even enforced. While in Kiangsi and Anhui (alas! Hunan does not. count at present) and a few other rice-producing provinces, there is a little surplus, the opportunity to Secure supplies from these sources has not been lost sight of, official "huchoos" having been obtained by' merchants to buy and transport Tice to this port.
Most of the interior towns, including Changsha and Wusih, in this province, not being oversupplied themselves, have refused to allow further shipments of it to be made to Shanghai and merchants, who went there to replenish their stocks, have been compelled to return' here empty-handed. Official appeals have been made to, and private negotiations are pro. ceeding with the people of these towns, and if these should fail a veritable rice famine will surd overtake Shanghai. There have occurred several cases of looting rice boats by country men en route; the boatmen have become very timid, and they do not care to run risks of being plundered and, maybe, roughly handled. Hence, the Proposal to detach native gunboats to act as-their convoy.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.