The autumn has passed very quietly. The rice crop on the whole was good and the price is about $1.40 per bushel (Chinese). Business men report that business has been about on an average through the year, the most conspicuous thing being the increase in ihe copper exchange. One dollar now changes for 2,600 cash, The fighting below Chungking made no appreciable difference here. A few troops were transferred and some of them brought some fever cases into the hospital.
A short time ago an educational conference was held here which included representatives from some of the cities of central Szechuan and from three missions. It was conducted by Dr. E. W. Wallace, the secretary of the West China Christian Educational Union, who was also one of the members of the educational commission which visited the schools of China a year ago. The Conference discussed the report of the educational commission which was presented to the Shanghai Conference last spring. One point that was noticeable at this conference was that the Chinese women delegates took as much part in the discussion as the men. There are over 21,000 students. in the schools of the Union. Forty-two per cent. of those in the lower primary grades, 22 per cent, in the higher primary grades and 16 per cent. in the middle school are girls and as yet there are no girl students in the University. However, plans are on foot to meet this lack. Up to the present time there have not been enough middle school girl graduates to warrant much work on getting university courses ready, but now there is a demand for such and it was brought up by the women delegates to the conference.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.