Bhortage of Rice Supplies Due Boa ors one cnecreir to Disturbances Canton, Apr. 15.
By leaps and bounds, the cost of living has been going up since the troops took the field against the Kuangsi insurgents, and even rice, the staff of life, has become a rare and precious commodity. Com-Paratively, Canton is better of than the rural communities, for has for years depended largely upon shipments from Siam and other outside countries, little vice from Kuangtung finding its way to the metropolis. Consequently, war conditions have not so greatly affected Canton's food supply, and the price to the ultimate consumer has; been quite steady, eight or nine calties being given for a dollar, In some regions where this staple is grown extensively, owing to unsettled conditions the supply has become less than the demand,.with a.xesultant increase in the selling price, For instance, at Waichow, a, Hakka city on the East River, only five catties are given for a Mallar, Few troops have remained behind to keep peace in this county, and outside the county seat the bandits have pretty much their own way, and have imposed a tax on Duffaloes, so that the farmer does not dare to let it be known that he has one or more of these beasts. He tills the soil without the aid of the buffalo, a slow, tedious pro eons, and naturally evops have fal-Jen off as a result, Acting independently in one county after another, the Magistrates have had to issue proclamations banning the exportation—of rice from their districts and a Board in: Canton has been considering th advisability of stopping the xport of rice. The Board, how-ver, has finally reported unfavourably' and has declared that it would not be practicable to make such a move. Nor will it be wise to prohibit the manufacture of wine from rie for the time being, although' 83,996,160 catties were used in the making of wine last year.
The men who have been conduetthis investigation wanted the ions to make daily reports of their cargo receipts and of their ales to retail houses, but such a howl went up when the hong ownors heard of it, that it seemed best to rive up this idea too, Tt will not do to cripple the wine industry cly preventing the use of rice in the distilling of liquor, and some country districts would' be terribly. hard hit were a law to be passed topping the re-export of rice from Canton. The Taishan district, for one, has to count largely on South Seas rice that has come through the metropolis, for it cannot raise enough to'satisty the wants of its population.
Phe government sti tax all fresh fruits ce continues to port. For mont firms dealing in these commodities refused to handle fruits so long as. the tax was being collected,—but was a hopeless cause. Gra-Gually they have all resumed busi-ess, and @ new company has just. een' given the franchise for coliecting the special tax. Tt will carry on for a year, and the importer must, pay $2.50 on each $100 worth of fruit that he brings into Canton. At the same time, the likin and fortress taxes will be removed, so far as fruits are concerned.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.