The special military caxee tha have been impared have completely closed the Tientsin-Puhoa railway to foreign shippers doing hi with Anhui post is collected in advance at the point of shipper authorities are state holding freight ears coerce shippers into paying result of these tactics the position jut foreiga firms has become increas ingly dificult and the amount freight space they are able to obtai is becoming progressively smaller. Use of the railway became impe sible altogether on April 8 when the right of allotting cars was trans torved to the collectors of the spe-ini military tax.
A large accumulation of gian is awaiting shipment and, as only small proportion of the oiling stock is available to transport it, the eon-gestion is bound to increase and the whole situation is likely to. aff jin a very serious way the general of, and. the econo)
Hoodwinking the Important The true condition of affairs is not, it is stated, always apparent to foreigners, as tae Chinese authorities take special pains to ensure that prominent " personages travelling over the lines shall be given special facilities.
Senteless inesrvenien e t0 passen= gers through the commaniecring of the only passenger ferry by the military authorities forms another ground of complaint. Passengers flow have to cross the river in an unsuitable and inadequate launch while the ferry is reserved for the use of high military offeinls, who are frequently.cen crossing in lonely state.
At Pokou there is only one ponton can conveniently be made use foreign all and shipping Srms and this also was the military authorities, snd felt locally, a slelil erate at: tempt on the part of the Fengtien military authorities to ire-venience foreign fir us possible, representa Only by Bribery Ore serious result of (he military activities at Pukow has been the up the rolling stock and only making it available to those prepared to pay through the nose for it, In addition to freight rates and the special military tax, shippers have to pay a special bribe to Ket cars in order to transport their goods.
Interference with the normal traffic has dees continuous, it is deciared, ever since the avarice to Pukou of troops from th" North and, unfort 1s to be the general 0 igners there tha ant ipation of a enmplete storation (0 normal conditions it not ed by tHe facie.—Reuter's Pacific Service.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.