rose Oun Own Comsroneere Harbin, Jan. 2.
The huge sum of $3,000,000 paid out by the Chinese Eastern Railway, during the past fortnight to its discharged servants caused @ boom in trade Just before the holidays such as! has not been seen for several years. 'The boom was not so evident before Christmas, as the emigrant population still stick' to the celebration of old style dates, but before the New Year made itself very apparent.
The stores were crowded with purchasers, buying to an extent which would make the casual visitor imagine that the trade of North Manchuri was booming, tramcars Jand buses were packed with those coming in. from the suburbs to visit the large; shops, while all along the main streets! stood' hundreds of hawkers offering: wares of all kinds, though principally fof Japanese manufacture.
The poorer Russlane could be seen selling small toys made by themselves, such as lamp shades, wall brackets and. many toys cut from.wood, a craft which was formerly to be seen in Almost every Russian village. Every tone of the large stores of the city kept open. the whole of Sunday, December 30 and on this day the purchases of wines, spirits and) Broceries were the main feature. As} special inducement nearly all the Targe stores gave their buyers 10 per cent, discount, while the largest confeetioner in Harbin gave 20 per cent. thus packing his shop to its utmost. The sum spent in the three days before New. Year's Day must have reached very large amount, as one universal store acknowledge having taken over $20,000 in one day and tone confectioner on the same day took just under $3,000.
The restaurants also did colossal business on New Year's Eve and such ay they have not seen for many years, the well known Hotel Modern having to use every available space in ity restaurant, cafe and cinema hall to accommodate its customers, while other popular houses were also book-to their full capacity, singing fand dancing being kept, up' till the following morning. The amount spent in. the restaurants is roughly featimated at about $80,000 for the one night, this reminding one of the olden Harbin days when money flowed ike water, and a certain famous contractor took his bath in champagne The weather was perfect for the whole of the holidays, steady frost, clear sky and brilliant sunshine.
The CER, Situation Rumours of many kinds os to the sale of the Soviet rights on the CER. have been current lately, but there is absolutely nothing definite to be ]learned excepting that the negotiations are still proceeding but are being suspended for the holidays. According to one authority all details have been agreed upon and all that now remains is the drawing up of the doc-have submitted to both Moscow and Hsining before being finally signed. 4 Another authority, however, insists more profitable than 1994, Tt ig true that many of the railway servants have lately left for Russia but many new ones have come to take their places, thus there is litle difference in the total number of Soviet servants on the railway, which now stands at about 7,500.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.