From time to time the newspapers announce that several new railways will soon be built; but Iam able to state that the probabilities are! strongly against the Kirin-Chientao and the Taonan-Tsitsihar lines being commenced this year. The mukden-Hailung line, if not area in progress, will, however, certain-be begun' very'soon. The reasons for the delay of the former are believed to be chiefly political. the case of the Kirin-Chientao line the Chinese are holding it back, while the Japanese are urging and in the Taonan-Tsitsihar line the Chinese are pressing for it the opposition of the Sovi thorities. Yet the present lawless condition of the country makes the aiding of railways imperative.
The state of trade in this province has been getting steadily worse for two years.
This is attributed to the oppress sion of the farmers by bri There is a constant influx into the cities of the wealthy farmers, who ture leaving their land to be by employees. Isolated hou being abandoned and the farmers are congregating in villages, 20 or 30 i apart. They applied with arms and with mili tary instructors, but have to pay the Government' for these.
In Fengtien province many new telephone lines have been erected and there are not now many market towns without a telephone serv 'This is a great safeguard, facil ting the rapid concentration of ai forces at any threatened point. Much lees has been done in. this Province in this direction, though it has been proposed and' discussed and agreed to.
The present Tuchun is highly respected, but often required at Marshal Chang Tso-lin's Council board at Mukden, that he has not had a fair chance of attending to local affairs. apr REPRESSION MANDATE, Peking, May 16.
To-day's Cabinet agreed to a pro-Posal from the Minister of the Interior that a mandate should be issued emphasizing the need of en-foreing opium prohibition. A mandate to this effect is expected very. shortly.—Reuter's Pacific Service.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.