All is not well in Canton in spite of the abolition of gambling and a further moral welfare campaign now projected which would cost the city some $1,200,000 a year. The news we publish to-day of the events leading up to the postponing of the election of a_president for the Southwestern Federation is significant. Dr. Sun Yat-sen has undergone a tactical defeat at thd hands of General Chen Chiung-ming and whatever chance he might have of being president if the election took place now will greatly be weakened two months hence, if not altogether ruined. For what reasons we do not yet know precisely, Dr. Sun Yat-sen appears to be losing his hold on his old associates and we should not be surprised to sce him back ere long in the French Concession. On the other hand General Chen is plainly gaining in popularity and good esteem. Meanwhile that is surely a very curious statement in tonight's Hongkong telegram that "the Inspector-General (of Customs) acknowledges, as always, the authority of, and takes instructions from the Military (Canton) Government."' That does not sound much the sort of thing that Sir Francis Aglen would do:
The Case of Mr. Barker Some years ago Mr. H. A. Barker came into prominence as the leading exponent of manipulative surgery, and from time to time astonishing stories of his abilities have been published. A very sustained attempt was made recently to obtain recognition of Mr. Barker-as a medical man, and failing assistance from the General Medical Council, - 300 members of Parliament petitioned the Archbishop of Canterbury to grant Mr. Barker a Lambeth degree, thereby getting round the law and the Medical Council. Yet he has begged to be allowed to teach medical students his methods by demonstrations in the' schools, and has been refused because he had not acquired the necessary diploma. While it has to be conceded that the Medical Council are undoubtedly perfectly right to insist on every possible protection of their profession against quackery, the prowess and ability of Mr. Barker has now been so clearly established that in the interests of humanity Mr. Barker should receive recognition and should be allowed to teach his methods., This appears to be a case where too much consistency places the Medical Council on a par with the ostrich and its methods of hiding.
Prices as They Were In these days of H.C.L. it is as refreshing as a drop of water to Dives, to read of the days when things seem to have been cheaper, even if in fact they were not. Sarah Fell, stepdaughter of George Fox, founder of- the Quakers, kept accounts, as all good housewives should, and from them we get a glimpse of prices as they were in 1678. She purchases six chicken for 10d., eight geese for 4s. 2d., and pays "Ellin" Pollard, the maid, £1 4s. per annum. Yet when things are reduced to some common denominator it would seem that "Ellin" was not so_ grossly underpaid after all. In terms of the chickens Sarah could buy" "Ellin" received about 173 chickens per annum, which at the present rates would be worth well over £35. And so it is with other figures. The "close for tom'" cost 7d. as the "fell taylor's"? fee for making: so. in terms of chickens, the "fell taylor" received a reasonable price for his work. Where Sarah was hard hit was in the cost of stufts—bs. 5d. for 3} yd. of white Kearsey, "for a petticoate.""
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.