Notwithstanding the marked trade depression in Harbin, building this Year is more intensive than ever and more than 1,000 plans for houses Rave already been passed by the! Municipalities of Harbin proper and Greater Harbin, In Harbin proper the majority of the larger buildings are being ed by Chinese, but the plans dre ap for the most part by Russian, architects and contracts often given to Russian contractors, who of course, use Chinese labour, One ai partment-house of 21 flats which to be ready this autumn deserves special attention as it will be the only one of its kind here. It will be equipped with all the modern conveniences as seen in Great Brit-tun and Aseria, tale dig the latent electric. stoves. for" kitchen, telephones in every flat ard filtered water only, drawn from an artesian well equipped with the latest Ameri can filter, In the suburbs Russians, mostly ex-railwaymen who _have drawn their pensions, are erecting, modest residences with plenty of spare space for kitchen-garden, cow shed, pig-sty and chicken house, where they intend to pass the rest of their days. They are quite right too, for here they at home, and with their modest capital, can live more contently than attempting to try their fortunes in unknown countries.
Most of them have growing fa and the children can get a' good sound education on the spot, ata small expense. With the elec tramway system being extended in all directions, for the Company is doing wonderful business, the sub-38 are rapidly becoming an: inter part of the town, and. actually' preferable for residential purposes.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.