Until the present, 20-cent. picves have been used at par in this neighbourhood, five exchanging for dollar, and owing to the disappearance of the small cash they' have been found very convenient, bhut so many have been brought in that the game is up. This week the tax prices refuse to accept them and merchants will only take them at a discount. It is adding much to the difficulties of the business folk.
For a year or 0 the Chamber lof Commerce issued five cash notes but recently these were called in Jand a quantity of five cash pewter pieces issued. Some tens of thousands of these were issued but they have disappeared, almost entirely, from circulation, and owing to the increase in the price of pewter, no more will be issued for the present.
Tt creates a serious economic situation when the unit of purchase suddenly jumps from one cash 200 cash. One hundred cash pieces are so few that they are only used for making change. The fellow whose purchase does not reach the even hundred will probably have to take for his change the remark "I have no small money' to give you." When one wants few peanuts it is rather hard lines to have to buy a pocket full Exchange on Shanghai and Peking has been soaring. The local post ofice rate was 50 per cent. premium for a while, and we have heard that in Chengtu the rate reached 3 per cent. Students caught down river will suffer, for their friends are none too eager to send money to them at such rates.
The dollar which reached 3450 has gone back to 3400 and rice hax reached 6500 cash per bushel of
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.