Harbin, Apr. 9, Among the main reasons for the ow cost of living here were the number bf dairy farms run by Russians in the suburbs of the town, making it possible to purchase a large bottle of milk for 7 oF B cents, The grazing pastures between the Hingan Moun-{ains and Mongolia provided excellent fodder for cattle and sheep, and as the rail freight on these was very low, the price of meat in Harbin was always below 20 cents a pound, Fish were delivered to Harbin In large quantities "from "the lakes on. the Western "frontier, and from Vindl=
'As most of the dairymen were Soviet citizens and their' clientele were In the majority railway om: ployees, the sale of the Chinese Eastern Railway practically ruined all who had cows "and fowl, most of them returning to their native land, For some reason the supply of cattle, sheep and fish has also fallen oft, with the result that practically all food. stuffs have gone up very considerably in price, andthe cheap living of Marbin has disappeared, Taxes have been introduced, which never before existed and these make it still more dificult for Harbin re= sidents to make their incomes cover requirements, Yesterday another blow was struck as the new. postal rales came into force, the postage on a Teller aprond being doubled and the rale for Manchoukuo being. raised from 3 {04 sen (fon) Now regulations have also been introduced. regarding money orders which make the period of validity of a postal money order more than 60 days. One large foreign firm estimates that its postage bill will now be Increased by about $500 a year, all of which must naturally be added to the cost of the goods, Shell Worth ¥, 1,000,000
Some time ago a local sculptor, Mr. Vatensky, placed on exhibition at the "local "Japanese Commercial Museum, a wonderful shell, which he had received in payment for making a bust of a Chinese merchant, and which this merchant used as an ash ray. The shell is 30 centimetres in diameter and inside has a number of mysterious designs which" were moulded by nature. Nine human heads encircled by a serpent are on {the inner side of the shell and thre also the head of a sphinx, The profile of one head bears'a crown and Fesembles the head of the late Queen Victoria. Experts who saw this shell Jat the exhibition, valued it at Yat 000,000, and at the present moment the owner is conducting negotiations with some Americans for Its sale,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.