The Cabinet meeting thie morn-we discussed financial affairs.
[According to semi-official reports, the Minister of Finance reported that he had secured several millions dollars for the New Year settlement. Ibs plan for the distribution fof these funds would be submitted to the Chief Executive this afternoon. He proposed to pay officers Jof the Government departments, troops and police a percentage of their sularies—Router's Pacific Service. riy Shanghai residents who, in spite of all the rumours of disturbances up-country, sought recreation and sport in houseboat trips during the New Year holidays, have returned with war stories, but they are somewhat of a mild nature. One party who went on a houseboat to the Luke distviet report that there were signs of war all the way up the iver and the creeks, all the really useful boats being in other hands than those of their owners, and the towns and villages all' being [sparsely populated. Once the houseboat was stopped by soldiers, but the Intter were satisfied their inspection and allowed the [boat to 0 on.
When Saturday broke there appoured 1 be a chance of some real fexeitement, for field-guns, maxims and rifles suddenly were turned loose in the neighbourhood of Tung imao, not far from Henli, The fighting was a long distance from the houseboat, but evidently the operations were extending over a considerable arca, for parties of wounded were brought down to the reach and taken to a village on the other side, However, after had been pounding away at each other for half-an-how, snow began to fall and put a sudden stop to the barile, which had not been resumed by' the time the return trip wae commenced. The houscheas travellers therefore were usable (9 aveertain exwetly what mon had been engaged and the result of the Aght, if any, which
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.