The river hag fallen rapidly during the past few days, and. the larger of the up-river ships are finished for the season and. are making their way to Shanghai. The smaller of ships are more numerous this year than last, and doubtless there is an attraction to build such ships because of the great increase of the freight tariff during the winter months.
Word has just come to hand that the Indo-China new ship King Wo has been badly holed through striking a rock about 10 miles above Chungking, while on the Chungking-Suifu run. i is doubly unfortunate.as this company's other ship the Fuk Wo has done but few trips this season owing to machinery trouble.
The new arrangement by which opium is taxed and distributed from this centre has resulted" the most unblushing exposure of the large quantities of opium that are really passing through this place. It runs into the tons weekly. Not that much of it is sold here, though the number of smokers are more than in the old days, but it is openly sent down river and to all the places around Ichang where there is any demand. The arrangement, I am told, is that duty is charged at the port of export and import, if, in Ichang or Shansi, or any such port, but it has to run the gauntlet of such places as Hiankow or Shanghai. A merchant I was talking to to-day who was looted twice seemed to rejoice ab the security that this dealing in opium is to bring, as in future the military would have sufficient to pay the troops, and looting would be unlikely. The iniquity of the deal did not'seem to bother him.
Admiral Anderson on the Bee is here at present, and is leaving to-morrow for Chungking on the str. Anlan.
Tue Government, states the "Peking and Tientsin Times," has telegraphed to Gen. Hsiao Yao-nan, Inspector General of Hunan and Hupeh, instructing him to prevent further illegal levies of a surtax-on foreign tobacco in Hupeh Province.
-Accorpinc to the "Osaka Asahi;"' the Japanese Government authorities are seriously thinking of raising the postage. on letters (closed covers) from 3 sen.to 4 sen, and making the charge for post cards 2 sen instead of 1.5 sen, in order to increase the state income and help to offset, the loss in revenue - resulting from the earthquake disaster.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.