Sales of beer have increased largely here since the independence of the plant was said to have been favourably impressed with the churia did not propose to suffer in silence. Beer produced in Manchuria should not be served in the restaurants, bars, cafes, dance halls, or other haunts of the thirsty, according 10 the decision reached' at a general meeting of representatives of restaurants in the Capitol of Manchoukuo. The restaurants, as well as the Public, expected that beer on which, import duty was not pald, and on. Which freight charges must be less, Would be sold at cheaper prices than in Japan. Nevertheless, for domestic and imported beverages the same price of yen 17.00 for a case of 48 bottles was demanded, The boycott has collapsed. It is reported that the profiteers convinced the boycotters that the breweries. must import from Europe, and/or Japan their hops, malt, cases, labels and bolties, and hence their produetion costs were very high. No mention is made of the water used or the cheap fuel and labour here. It brewery who brazenly advertise that they. supply "Draught" beer in bottles! The price to the consumer not to be reduced.
The Department of Finance has issued figures which show that the export trade is over a third larger then for the same period of last year, and that imports had increased by early one sixth, Sufee it to say, that Germany occupies a prominent place in the competition, that there 4s little change in the places for the trade stakes, or the commodities handicap, anyone who backed Japan, and Beans, would be sure of pulling off a double.
Manchoukuo has a favourable trade balance, and so far this has not been branded as an anti-Japanese movement. There is one item of Japanese trade which is of special interest, Japan's exports to the Kwangtung Leased Territory could hardly be consumed in that small area, It is to be feared that some of these goods may find their way into Manchoukuo without the customs receipts being correspondingly swelled. In fact official announcement was made that large scale smuggling of sugar and rayon were taking place. But these figures pale to insignificance when compared with the cargoes which are bein constantly taken to North Chins. would seem that nearly all figures published lately show an in-ease, though some of these are less comforting then others. The price of wheat and the price of wheat "our increased over 10 per cent. in a short, ime, but that is said to be due to an Increase of damage to crops due Increased rains, Rising Price trid choukuo now bassa price index, also seems to be rising. The of Statistics have issued the ings that the average index number for retail prices in nineteen of the principal cities is 224 per cent, higher than the average in 1034, and 4 per cent. over that of the month Previous. Vogelables showed a drop price but other food stuffs rose 25 per cent. The detailed tables show great variety; taking the prices at Hsinking for a base, vegetables are cheaper everywhere else. Antung and Mukden evidently go in for gardening for they pay respectively 56 and 57 per cent, as much for this item us docs Hsinking. Fish and meat are dearer in the North. Fuel and light might be expected to be cheaper near the mines, but strange fo say Antung pays much Jess than Mukden, for these necessities. The high cost of living gets no lower. The thermometer and the hygrometer have been breaking records. More taxes are to be paid, in fact there is, 'a general upward tendency which makes one long for a contortable de-Pression, at least in some lines.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.