Soochow, July 1.
the chief topic of conversation among the Soochow people, ass} the case everywhere, is the price of rice. The situation' among—the poorer people is desperate, and the question of fuel is also quite acute. The farmers are planting every inch of ground in rice, and even the very low-lying ground, which—is usually flooded four years out five, is being planted. Most of these Jowlands were planted quite early in the season, so there is 2 fine chance for this crop to mature before the high water. Should we have a good season, southern Kiangsu and Chekiang should yield one of the largest rice crops in history.
'The local silk weavers' strike has now been settled, and largely in favour of the weavers. But with the present high prices we may expect greater and more strikes. As the saying goes, "something has got to bust loose."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.