The wheat crop has been @ par ial failure. The prices have gone up again owing to the extensive opium crop last year and the failure this year. Many of the poor people are finding it very difficult to live. The country places abound with thieves.
No opium has been grown this year, but there is still a large quantity in the hands of individuals who are making huge profits. In another year these surplus stocks will be used up and none will be sorry.
Twenty-four years ago silver and copper coins were in circulation in the province of Anhui. The cop. per coins have just reached us here, and were being circulated freely when the yaméne refused to have their taxes paid by them, so the farmers refused to use them and now there is a deadlock. The cash is 1,250 to a tael, whereas merchants are willing to give 1,600 for the tael in copper coins The market has been flooded with them too quickly.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.