Year Was Dodged vox oun Own Connsstononer Kueiyang, Kuei, Mar, 3.
During January the provincial authorities issued notices forbidding fany observance of lunar New Year and prohibited the pasting up of red paper scrolls and door gods," also the firing of crackers, ete, the old year (lunar) "drew to a close there were far fewer signs than in former years of th oreasion, But a few, more venture some than the rest, disregarded the official prohibitions and eventually the lunar New Year ''came into ite own" again to a considerable tent, During the first few days of the lunar New Year practically all business houses were closed though some few which claim to be modern in outlook said they were observing the "spring festival." Indeed local calendar was issued marking January 30 (ie, the first day of the lunar year) as "spring festival."
he had readily our Chinese friends adapt themselves to circumstances and observe old customs under new names! I noted that even Christ mas Day was marked on the colon: dar a8 a Chinere anniversary of some sort!
The provincial government is evidently doing what it can to sup press the robbers but it is stiff, slow work. And the exchequer is'evidently far from overflowing with money for I hear that the soldiers fare not only underpaid but underfed too. Certainly, efforts are being made to get money from the one case, known to my-tradesman with but $2,000 recently been required to pay $5¢ to the provincial treasury and, because he found it dif cult to produce, the amount his son was imprisoned and his house sealed up. Then when the found an extra fifty was fine for the delay. Premumably this ease tx but one many. Little wonder if many sigh for the easier rule of the Manchus, The assistant commander-in-chief of the province has recently hurried to Huchow in the southeast of province to oppose what is said@i} be an attempt of the Kuan! ud troops to enter Kueichow, In spite of financial stringency the provincial authorities are pushing forward the building of frosh motor roads as well as the very necessary repairs of the roads already built. One decidedly unsatisfactory feature of it all is the forced labour employed, the country people being compelled to give quite 'a considerable portion of their time One wonders why the patriots" do not cry out in protest against this exploiting of the poor 'A PEKING telegram to the "Shun pao," says that Mr. Nelson '7. Johnson, the American Minister to in an_ interview with members of the Chinese press, remarks that the United States Government's towards China in* conneeis that no_negotis fare to be conducted f9r more loans to China unless China has reached definite decisions regarding the repayment of loans formerly granted by the United States to 47 rounds per- man, and of 48 rounds each' for the Lewis guns, making a total of about 500 rounds for the whole party, where.
in the engagement described tubove the American guard fired rio fewer than 1,250 rounds.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.