Opium smoking officials intent on extortion are still in evidence, and we are reminded more of the pre-Boxer period than of the post-Republic era, in more ways than one. "Foreiga devil" is once more heard on juvenile lips pretty frequently. And the other day an English mi sionary resident in the district for fourteen years was held up on a much traversed road for his passport, the official threatening to deport him to Tientsin. The passport carried had just expired and the new one was at his station 250 li away. Such a thing has been unheard of for many years in this part of the world.
Respect for Sir Robert Hart, Another sign of retrogression is furnished by the enormous demand for incense, fire crackers and similar paraphernalia for New Year's idol worship. The wholesale makers here have been unable to meet the exceptionally large demands this year. On the other hand, a very good move on the part of the Government is the circulation through the port to merchants and gentry of a book setting forth the late Sir Robert Hart's scheme for China's national finance,) This
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.