December 13.
We published yesterday a draft scheme for the future regulation of conservancy matters, which are now in a state of deadlock, owing to the ion of the Nanking Viceroy in dissolving the Conservancy Board atthe end of last month. It is typical of the difficulty that exists in setting the Peking steam-roller in motion, that although the Viceroy': action was a flagrant breach of the Huangpu Convention of 1906, it still holds good. The Conservancy Board stands dissolved and its work is nominally in process of bein handed over, according to the Viceroy's dictation to the Treaty Powers, to the yamen of the Shanghai Taotai. But with this destruc tive contribution to a vital problem. and with the nominal appointment ofan engineer-in-chief, the Viceroy"- terest in conservancy work would appear to have been sated. It may be doubted whether even those who to take charge of the conservancy have been appointed by the ('hinese
operations are satisfied that ther will be able to make any ede under the new regime. ~The com servancy of a big and tr river is too big a problem directed to any degree adequately by a Chinese official, who may lo promoted to another sphere at any
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.