Taingkiangpu, Ku, May 90.
Good roads in North Kiangsu have always been a thing of the future, It is said that many years ago there was an Imperial road that ran this way, but the last traces of it have long disappeared. Tt was about fifteen years ugo that road building was really begun in this section. During one of the big famines here, the" Central China Famine Relief Committee laid down, the principle that relief would be given only according to the amount of work done*on roads and canals. As there did not seem to be any Public spirit about the matter, and 'a3 they had never seen good roads, and as the day of rieshas and avtomobiles had not arrived, it was a most difficult proposition to get the people started on these public works, but throughout the whole of North Kiangsu many canals were zedyg and many many miles of roads were repaired, bridges were built and many other improvements were accomplished. This was all done with famine funds. To-day the best roads in this pact of tha country are those built by the Famine Comimittec Geni: Bel Bao-san of Haichow, was a great" road-builder. "He built many beautiful stone bridges and improved the roads in in a wonderful way. He inspired the generals to build in their also, and so it came about that military roads were built betwen all the principle cities of North Kiangsu, Agents of private motorbus Tines visited Tsingkiangpu from time to: time, seeking opportunities to start business, but the one problem that confronted them, and which they'were not able to solve, was that of preventing the military from impressing the buses any time they saw fit. One agent replied that he had the capital in hand, but that, unless this problem could be solved, conditions would not permit starting the buses, As private interests did not respond, some officials took the matter up with Nanking and it was decided to use a certain percentage of the taxis to buy automobiles. So, two oF three years ago, this ear service started and has been running fairly well between certain towns, Apparently it was nobody's business to keep these machines in repair and, when one was wrecked, it was one's loss. When the war broke out last year, the soldiers took charge and got what use they could out of the machines, and then left them beside in the road, or in ditches or mudholes Possibly twenty or thirty cars are scattered over the country, and they have been lying out in the weather for months, with no one to care for them. Some are new trucks and more of less dilation. Some are broken, some have the tyres taken off and others were mostly taken apart by the roadside and the "parts" used by_ soldiers Several "weeks ago, an sent came up from Nanking to view the situation and tabulate the num-har and note the condition of the cars. Tt is reported on good authority that funds have just been received from Nanking to repair the roads, but the work apparently egodalsieaheen" bower arg mating has. not base, Complated "ye
aad it ood use of Une roads, and od service is maintained.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.