Hangchow, March 10.
The return of Mr. Chang as Salt Commissioner has given great delight and the salt merchants are giving him a "welcome back" banquet.
The Civil Governor is informed by wire from Poking that cash and copper coins are going out of the country and he must take steps to prevent the leakage.
Mr, J. C. Molony, S.H.N.R. district engineer, left this morning for England on six months leave of absence. His place is being taken by Mr. Ridgway.
The weather is very mild and spring is early. The apricot flower is over; the nectarine is bursting forth and the magnolia is in full and perfect bloom; tha first time for many years it has not been destroyed by rain or snow.
March 11.
The Governors are calling on Peking for the $450,000 promised from the internal famine relief loan for Chekiang to engage the sufferers from flood and famine in road-making, etc.
A school for the teaching of the phonetic paript is to be opened here on April 1 have collected $500 for the famine The yamen officials in the city
relief fund.
Steps are being taken by a benevolent committee to improve the rules and regulations governing theatricals which are greatly on the increase. Many of them are very questionable and low and are having a demoralizing effect upon the people. The object of this committee is to purge and purify the stage. It has its work cut out.
March 12
The Educational Committee is calling a meeting of teachers and pupils to-morrow in the Y.M.C.A. to appoint leaders for the students' famine relief campaign, which is to take place here on the 27th instant.
The electric light company is such a brilliant success that it has decided to issue new shares, and as the Government has an interest in the concern the shareholders waar to know if it also is willing to in crease its capital.
The Chinese are slow at "going under,'' but we hear that a definite effort is soon to be made at Dang-livin for the excavation of coal.
March 16.
It is said that Japan imports about $3,000,000 worth of toys into China every year and plans are being laid to establish a toy industry in Hangchow with a capital of $10,- 000. This is a new toy here, and will give the promoters something to_play with for a time.
'The Girls' Normal School is planning several days' excursions to the country for the girls to learn geography, botany, geology, and see the beauties of nature face to face. A splendid idea for broaden-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.