The Statistical Department of the Chinese Maritime Customs announces that a new system of pub-Vishing the quarterly and annual returns is to come into fores this. year. In future the quarterly returns will no longer be produced im one volume which combines all the ports, but each port will have its separate and particular pamphlet—the first three quarters being sol? at 10 cents each. These will be issued separately as soon as ever they are ready, and we imagine that business men in general will appreciate the innovation. Moreover, in the pamphlets for the June, September and December quarters: a new and exceedingly important feature will be introduced, namely, a comparative column and cumulative figures from January 1 to the end of the quarter concerned for the current and two preceding years. Then the December pamphlet will include the annual trade report and certain annual tables, and will thus take the place of what used to be the second volume of the annual series. The price of this will be 50 cents. Following
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.