To the tens of thousands people of this region whose enjoyment of life depends upon the prosperity -of the silk business, the first crop of cocoons has proved a disappointment none the Jess biter that It was foreseen front the very' first of the season. Not much
under the handicap of continuous be hoped from the sik worm damp and chilling weather. The! yield is said to be not more than 50 per cent. of the normal expecta tion. The second crop of cocooes: has still to come, but this, at its Dest, cannot affect the situation in any' great measure, 'The misfortunes of the farmer affect the trader and merchant of the city, who are all complaining of hard' times. Cze conspicuous Piece of evidence of this state of affairs is the unusually Large number of closed shops, the proprietors of which have been forced out of business.
In spite of all this, there seems to be no real evidence ¢f respon: ency, but rather a spirit of con siderable optimism. The farmers} Bye now reposing their faith in the rice harvest, which they hope will be good enough to make up in some measure for their ill luck during the earlier part of the year.
Educational circles also seem have their share of misfortune, It ig reported that the teachers cf} ithe government schools of the city] have received no salary since Jan wary, and are ina condition" of yerentment that approaches the boiling point. The teachers are said to have resolved that if salaries are not paid in full by the: end of this month the schools. will Kweiyang, May 24.
In my travels in various parts of the Province as well as from otserjwations in and around Rwelyang city, I am impressed with the lessen-jing of the number of sub-offices funder the Bureau for Military supplies which is the temporary sus-[cessor of the Likin Bureau, This means some diminution in hindrances to trade, but the reason {for reducing these sub-offices is in lorder to effect reduction in expenses Jess men are employed. From what I can ascertain, the taxes en various kinds of merchandise have focken slightly altered, but the net result seems to be a tendency to finer ease the sum total of receipt:
Passing through certain hsien city' Jon my present journey to the south west of the province I called on the magistrate who is a friend of mine, He was in conference with the district headmen, but he let Ime in to his own office for a talk. He told me that orders had come ito abolish the "fine for breaking the suppression of opium cultivation law," s0 the headmen were gathered to consider other iheans of finding money to meet Government ex-
T have, since inquired as to his matter in other hsien districts which I have passed through, but it appears that the matter has not yet been taken up. T have an im pression from some things said that at least in certain districts the "fine" (which is levied on all farmers whether cultivating opium or not) is to be levied definitely this season jas the crop has already been gathered and the "fine" is being collected. Tt is an iniquitous tem.
Swatow, June 11, Censequent upon the breck be: j: ween Kuangtung and the Nanking Government, several changes have taken place' in the official world of ISwacow and district. The Chief of Police and the Superintendent of [Customs have been replaced fnominess of the Kuangtung Govern-iment. The General of the C2nd division and the Mayor of Swatow Ihave remained at their posts, as they are presumably in sympathy with the Kuangtung party.
Several bandit outrages occurred lecon after the announcement of the challenge to Chiang Kai-shek, but fat che moment the situation is quiet.
Two youths, one a relative of a wealthy local banker and the other ithe nephew of an employee of the hal branch of the I.C.L,, have been kidnapped from the" American Baptist Mission settlement at Kakchieh. This place is just opposite Swatow on. the other side of the harbour, snd the houses entered by ithe bandits are surrounded by the residences of foreigners. Kakchioh nas been placed under martial law jan a guard of soldiers is posted nightly in the mission settlement. Foreigners are complying with the local police requirements and now carry lanterns inscribed with their frames in Chinese characters when lout-of-doors after dark.
'The entrance to the harbour has ileon mined against attack by sea, fond during "the past. fortnight Jseveral aeroplanes from Canton have flown over the port, the intention iboing, apparently, to' make clear to the population that the Kuangtung for the time being at any master of the air, Adverse exchange has affected trade and prices of foreign goods jate steadily increasing. One consequence of the general depression mot held graduation exercises and will not take part in the grand) 4nd she never have been intro [by en. thal hat the
Provincial Department of Eduea- 1 am sorry to note a very wide-exhibition that the d9ee2. dies to the north Masa, a tion has' planned for the summer!*Pretd drought from Anshun west eas a local
ed-all schools to send exhibits. months and to which it has direct-ward ave come. ard southwestward as far So far one or two ott is becoming As for many months past, the|*howers have fallen but the ground], 3at-shed contractors, eat business. is banditry. "This is always flourishing' in the country|@Fe fears that aay tae the the crop will will be expectation. of districts, and is frequently leaven-rained. As T write this, the san ed With' kidnappings for. rans-m, shines' foreely anda. high wind The amount of money paid out in eatters the clouds that would such affairs would add up to am gather.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.