It is well-known that although shipbuilding in the Far East, and especially in Hongkong, Shanghai and Japan, has been an established industry for many years (thanks"to the Scottish pioneers in this branch of industrial activity), the greatest. impetus in this sphere of industry was provided by the war, when the call for ships, of any and every size, was universal and ceaseless.. How well'the yards in this part of the world responded to the call, and how much their efforts were appreciated by the Allies, is now ancient histor and from that time the efficiency and comparative cheapness of shipbuilding yards in the Far East was fact established and acknowledged. In view of thi a little dificult to understand the pained surprise with which, apparently, the news has been received at Home and in Australia that the Hongkong and Whampoa Dock Ca. has obtained, in open competition, an order for two passenger and cargo steamers for owners in Sydney (N.S.W.). The surprise appears to be based on the fact that both in the United Kingdom and in Australia are modern, up-to-date and efficient shipbuilding: berths unoccupied and likely to be for some time ahead. To our mind, there is no reason for surprise at all. The successful tenders obtained the open competition; their that of all other ship-East under tion, is unimpeachable; and if, as no doubt was the case, their tenders were appreciable lower than any of those from either Australia or the United Kingdom, it only logical and reasonable that they should have been awarded the contract building in these parts is try that has come to stay, and if Hongkong has obtained important contracts in open competition with some of the oldest and most efficient ship-construction establishments. in the world, it is a matter on which Hongkong deserves heartily and sin-feerely to be congratulated. If such jeongratulation should be at all tempered by us in Shanghai, it should be only with the wish that our shipbuilding yards in Shanghai which, like those of Hongkong, have such fine record of efficiency and achievement, shall secure some equally important jobs in the not The Musk Deer It has been noted many times bo-fore in these columns that, since the catliest days of the foreigner in China—and one takes no small pride in adding, especially the Briton—repeated attempts have been made to secure the drafting and enforcement of a series of rigid game laws, but Emperor, Dictator and President alike have been either callous or careless and to-day there is no more protection for wild birds and beasts than there was 100 years ago. Possibly there is less, for far more deadly and effective weapons now are used in the chase. An interest ing story in the "Chinese Econom Monthly" once again directs attention to the necessity. Perhaps most people know that China is the great fest musk market in the world and China's product is in the highest demand. Of late years there has been such a great increase in the demand that now it is far in ence of the supply and thoughtless or ignorant people, intent only on pro-[fts, are engaging in reckless slaughter' of the musk-door. They are snared and killed at all seasons of the year, male, female and immature specimens alike, for the Tibetans have as much of a craving. for the flesh and skins as foreigners for the musk. "Up to 10,000 are known to be killed in Western China every year, according to trade returns, without taking into account those who fall to native hunters. Not only because of the demand, but mainly because of the difficulty' now in finding the deer, the price of musk has gone up to five times as much as it. was 20 years ago and the indications are that it will increase every year, The wide-awake Dalai Lama foresaw what would happen and issued orders prohibiting indiscriminate slaughter of the deer, but practically success attended his well-meant efforts and now no attempt is made to enforce the restriction. At the present time the musk trade is bringing enormous sums of money into China every year and with Proper and adequate protection for the deer there is no reason why it should not continue to be a remunerative trade. It is common knowledge that a few years ago fortunes were being made from the export of pheasants in cold storage from districts not far from Shanghai. It is as well known that prac-," tically nothing is done in that Li now—because the pheasants have been wiped out,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.