Hangchow, Feb, 17.
New Year excitement still prevails in the boulevards along the West Lake, where the crowds of promenading men, women and children show their appreciation of the specially ornate system of street-decorations put forth by a combine of shopkeepers with the purpose of drawing trade. The restaurants and tea-shops have their virtue rewarded.
Here, the topic of conversation is centred on the unpopularity of the Tuchun, whose days, rumour has it, are numbered owing fo the part he is playing in Sun Yat-sen's schemes. Indeed, it is privately hinted that we are on verge of some lively doings in the political world. Meanwhile the people go on enjoying their prolonged holiday.
The Educational Commissioner urges School principals to be less lax in granting holidays, adding that, while the pupils are given more or less carte-blanche as to school attendance, we can never attain the higher training of the mind while young that alone will save China. He also announces' the opening shortly of girls' middle schools in the city and also the Yomoval of thie Nanking Higher Normal Centre to Hangchow.
As a "help to prospective treasurers" a bookkeeping and higher mathematical -class is announced. It is significant that amongst nantes already registered are prominent members of the Provincial Assembly and lawyers of the city.
The overseas Chinese who have undertaken the making of motor roads have abandoned the idea of adding an aeroplane scheme as "aiding and abetting the military system in the province? They seem determined to carry through the road measures, however.
The Salt Commissioner is called to Peking to confer as to better means of making the tax a greater source of revenue to the country. much as the export of opium, for medical purposes, had been prohibited and the regulations for its control had been put into force since January of this year, irregurarities of the sort complained of could, he believed, be eliminated in future, But he further stated that such traffic as may be carried on direct with China without passing through Japanese ports would not be within the control of the Japanese Government.
In this connexion, Count Uchida, Minister of Foreign Affairs, added that, although Japan took part im the International Opium Treaty in 1902, unfortunately that Treaty had not been ratified then and remained unratified to this day. But now that the Treaty in ques tion was to become effective from this year, the Government would do its utmost to maintain control more strictly than ever.—Eastern News Agency.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.