No Mail for Weeks Owing to the Seamen's Strike From: Gur Own Correspondent, Pakhoi, Mar. 8.
During the past five weeks there has been only one -mail received from Hongkong, and only one opportunity to send letters by steamer, direct to Hongkong. When steamer communication between Canton and. Wuchow was resumed, the overland mail service vid the West River, and Wuchow was available to Canton. The parcels delivery has been entirely suspended for more than five weeks. Pakhoi ran entirely out of flour, and any odd lots obtained from places inland were sold at high rates. One steamer brought a cargo of oil from Hai—|phong for the Asiatic Petroleum Ca.
s very little cargo came through two or three weeks preceding China New Year, the majority of the merchants sxe short of two months' stock, Among exports, live pigs accumulated to the number some 2,000, and many small dealers had to sell at a loss. Pork dropped in price, and cither people ate to excess, or the meat was not good, as mary cases of sickness are reported from eating pork.
First Fins sor Years We have been free from—serious fires for some years, but 10 days ago fortune turned. Five shops were gutted. A woman and her two songs were trapped by the burning of a stairway, and burned to death. The fire might easily have assumed more serious proportions, but for the strenuous efforts of the "bri-zades" assisted by some of the people. A day or two later the majority of the shops "rendered thanks" to the fireged for his consideration in sparing their premises, sstos Provipexr Socrery Brancw.
A branch of a Canton Provident Society (ABB) has been started in the town. Membership is available to farmers, artisans and students, and the entrance fee is down and the payment of from one to 30 cents per month.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.