Information received from a coal Chinese dealer is to the effect while the retail trade locally, wes normal, it is much below par elsewhere. So restricted has it become that even in districts by no means remote from Shang-thai it is stated that it is amounting only about 30 per cent. of whi it_was last spring. In such cir cumstances it is impossible to hope for any improvement in the near future, and the feeling is that We are to-day seeing the con sequence of all the exactions which for months past the military have been levying upon the trade of the interior.
At the beginning of the week the auctions were quite lifeless, and in the absence of orders' prices generally were br: lower level. Thi was further empha Jclearances. An improvement, however, was een at the desi auction, when fluctuated very little the tone was better, and after two disappointing weeks this proved a welcome feature. Venetians worked out about steady, and little change was recorded in Italians. Greys proved slightly erratic, but with a tendency towards firmness, while there was an improved demand for Whites. For this Korea was mainly responsible, although Tientsin displayed more activity and orders were in hand from Hankow and Ningpo. This demand for Whites principally had reference to the higher qualities, as at present too heavy stocks of low qualities are fon hand to justify any brisk
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.