Fnot Our Own Coanrsroxoesr victoria, B.C, Aug. 25.
'Trans-Pacific trade will benefit by' the reduction in postal rates which came into effect en July 1 on Canadian mail destined for foreign countries, Under the new ratea letters will be carried for five cents: for the first ounce and three cents for each subsequent onnes fraction, as compared with the previous rate of eight cents and five for the additional ounce. Post-
Jeards are reduced from four to three cents; printed matter is just one half, now standing at one cent for} ich two ounces. Commercial pa: ages are now carried for five cents for a packet up to ten ounces, as against eight cents for eight ounces: ormerly. The rate en samples is cut in two, now standing a two! cents per packet not exceeding four ounces in weight. _Interrationall reply coupons are reclused from! nine cents to seven.
A two-cent letter rate prev: for Canada, Groat Britain and alli other places in the British Empi for France, the United States a all other countries on the North American continent. It i rote that the rate on printed in Canada and for the United States is the same ax tha: for China, and still more interest-matter to London as that' is, the rate is we cents for each two ounces, The cable rates from Victoria to Shanghai remain unchanged—eighty-five cents a word. A night] letter of nineteen words may be sent for $5.60 (gold) with twenty-eight additional cents for each word, Tue Belgian Botanical Associ tion recently presented the City of Paris with 200,000 feet of begani: destined to decorate the Tuileries, the garden of the Palais-Bourzon and Bagatelle, reports the United Pross. Representatives of tha organization met in the Place de Carousel and formally handed over 4 token of the gift, whereafter French and Belgian dignitaries and flower lovers banqueted.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.