A united session of officials controlling the policy of education in the districts under the Shanghai-Haichow Circuit, opened on February 9 in the "Yes Garden" within the city. Mr. Vu Chi-kiang, Inspector of Education for the Circuit, would have presided but for the fact that he was engaged in other important duties. His place wax taken by Mr. Hsu, and twenty papers submitting educational pro: blems by the district inspectors of education were rend and discussed on February 9 an? 10.
Tt may interest foreigners to know that the two foremost papers passed by the Session both dealt with the necessity and importance of physical training from boyhood. The present time is recognized as a militant period, and right not backed up by might may always prove difficult to be asserted. In China, literary distinction has long been regarded as more honourable than military rank. Hence, scholars had neglected "'militarism' as beneath their notice, devoting their ettention and time wholly to study; and this habit was thought to be the cause of the weakness of the present-day Chins. One of these papers sets forth an elaborate scheme of embodying bodily exercise as one of the compulsory subjects in the curriculum of all advanced elementary schools and all "Schools for Citizens."
Periodical competitions in gymnastics and sports between students of the same school, between schools of the same district, and between schools of districts in the same Cir-cult are to be held without fail and under the auspices of preceptors of schools, or district inspectors of education, or Inspector of Educa-ion of the Circuit as the case may The Opium Trade.
The opium merchants have petitioned the Government for an extension of nine months to the period within which trade in opium may legally be done, and this extension has been granted in consideration of the smuggling of illicit opium having interfered with the disposal of unsold stock, which cannot with certainty be entirely cleared during the current year. The merchants are reported to have voluntarily offered to increase the duty on opium by " farther amount of Tis, 1,200 per chest, Another Chinese paper states that the Government has proposed to the opium merchants to borrow from them Tls. 3,000,000 to be rogartied prepaid tax, and, in return, nine months' extension of time will be granted them during which bhoy may sell off their holdings. It is said that s opium-smuggling on a large scale has been going on for long time, merchants are coni-Ea vinced of the impossibility of dis: posing of their stock at the end of this year; so they are willing to Agree to the Government's proposal, but they fear that the people will rise in protest against lending such a large amount to Poking.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.