Business is going on as usual and things are quiet and orderly, but there is a feeling among the people that the authorities are withholding reliable information from them. As is the case under such circum. stances there are those who try to guess What it is the officials do not want them to know so there are plenty of rumours going round. Moreover letters from Szechuan
Chungking than it was, and here gate the fighting. is now nearer to in Kueichow the authorities are pushing the enrolling of recruits With all haste, so putting these two things together the people fear cur troops at the front have not been as successful as the telegrams led them to suppose. The export duty on opium thas been increased from $2 per 102 oz, to $4 for the same quantity.
Fearing there might be some deception practised by the business men, the customs authorities in Kueiyang have stipulated that all business men who paid the duty on their opium before the change in price, must export the same within ten days or pay the advanced rate. In other districts the same rule has not been made so there are those who have gone to out-of-the-way places and paid export duty large quantities of the drug while have none og all. They will take the receipts to the busy centres and sell to those merchants who have opium but no receipts, and both will reap some advantage. The holder of the receipts will get more than he paid for then, amd the owner of the opium will give Jess than he should have to pay the customs, i The consumption of opiuni is progressing at an alarming rate and there is no knowing where will stop. In addition to smoking the drug the working classes are taking to swallowing large quantities of the dross. "As it is sometimes swallowed with wine the effect on the system is much more harmful than smoking. Travel-levs say that quite frequently luggage coolies and chair bearers smoke four or even five times a day. The price is within the reach of all and many would rather have the opium than their rice.
The Commissioner of Finance has issued a proclamation to try and help the financial situation. He Pleads with the public not to be alarmed but to do.all that in them lies to improve the price of provincial banknotes. Apart from the Payment of taxes the notes may be used in official circles at face value. Should any customs official, or civil magistrate refuse to accent them -then the people may report the matter to the Commissioner. If it is necessary for them to travel any distance in order to make the report in person, he is prepared to pay their travelling expenses in that the customs official at Sankiang and the magistrate at Pingchow have both been recalled to Kueiyang because they refused to accept the aforementioned notes.
On Sunday there was a meeting in the Park to solicit support from the public. Several speakers harangued the multitude but with what practical result I do not know.
On account of the continued rains the rice owners have not been able to prepare the grain for market, consequently the price is still abnormally high. The coal mines (should I say holes?) are flooded and coal is more than double the price it was two weeks ago. Salt is scarce and dear owing to the fighting in Szechuan.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.