Movements of troops in the North und the consequent commandeering: of the railways have resyited in a serious situation in the coal trade. Very little coal gets through seem the coal fields in Chili and Mane churld, and local firms depending on Chinese coal are finding the utmost jeulty in fulfilling their contracts, The Kailan Mining Administration have ceased supplying household coa altogether and are concentrating simply on supplying those. firms with whom they have contracts. Many of the company's mines are completely idle, For the past two, for three weeks, in fact, there has been no output' whatsoever. Many thousands of tons of coal Li side the railway lines in various parts of the country, waiting to be taken to Chinwangtao, there to be shipped to Shanghai. " This cannot be done owing to the soldiers having commandeered the greater part of the rolling stock, 'The military fare thus succeeding in paralysing the railways, and if they carry on as they ave doing, it will not be long before they succeed in paralysing considerable amount of the country' industry. In Peking, as already reported, there is a coal famine. In. Shanghai we are likely to be spared such an eventuality owing to our close proximity to Japan; neverthe Jess coal brites are likely to go up if some of the rolling stock is not. freed, and the idle stocks of coal up country thus released, Meanwhile, the K.M.A, are paying out! huge sums of money in wages. to men who ave doing no work,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.