Harbin, Jan. 22.
Keeping wolves from the doors Harbin is, literally speaking, a task at which local hunters are at p Ero oat to oun goats and ighting, for large num!
boars—have been seen in the country round here and hunting expeditions set out regularly to secure their recent heavy fall of snow the hunting of fur animals is at its peak. The gun can get a beg of over 50. In-Cidentally, there has been an interesting metamorphosis in the hunting of these birds; previously sportsmen always shot them in the regions io the west, but as last year saw extremely deep snow in those, districts the pheasants this season eschewed them altogether and migrated. partly to the Huhai Railway region and partly to Korea. Good woodcock shooting is to be had both to the east and to the west, but as, fortunately for them, these birds are not blessed with any industrial value they are not hunted so generally. There is a scarcity of rabbits around Harbin, explained by a pestilence which in Manchoukuo breaks out periodically among these animals.
A movement, started officially a few months ago, to form a Hunters' Society is gaining ground at an appreciable rate, and many of the most prominent sportsmen in Manchoukuo—including "he well-known hunter Mr. N. A. Baikoff—have joined its international membership list. Branches of this Society have been started in many railway stations such as Handohedze, Ekho, Imianpao, Chalantun and others.
The cost of skins has, in connection with the fal (20 to 25 per cent) of wholesale prices in America, diminished; and a bear skin can now be bought between 25 ata 30 gobi while a good fox skin does not cost more than 15 gobi, Proposed Traction Scheme 1f the plans of the civic authorities materialize, the city's tramways and omnibus routes will in the middle of February cease being a purely municipal concern and will be formed into a limited company. Shares will be brought out, half of which will be bought by the municipality in order to retain virtual control over the "company while the other half will be put in the market. The city's population are not viewing this move in a very favourable light, as they fear that with these utilities becoming a commercial organization with commercial aims, the city's growth will be impeded. When the municipality first took the city's communications into its hands it declared that all the proceeds would go towards the city's growth by helping people who live in the outskirts to get quickly to the business centre.
The taxpayers therefore willingly supported many tramway and omnibus routes that were absolutely pro-titiess in order that people living im the suburbs would have convenient connection with the city, and the suburbs consequently grow. But, they reason, should a commercial organization be formed, sound business principles would force it to discontinue the non-paying lines, there would be an inward rush of people who had been tempted to live further afield; and the city's extending circumference would be given a tightening jerk.
Unity Among the Russians On January 7 an event of comparative rarity occurred in the local Russian community. All political differences were subordinated, and to the pealing of bells in Orthodox churches—the day was Russian Christmas—the leaders of Russian emigration in Manchoukuo met in the local Landowners' Association where a short religious service was held. Mutual congratulations of the season were extended and Mr. A. I. Oparin, Chairman of the Russian Chamber of Commerce, Gen. A. P. Baksheeff, and others, gave short speeches. Opinions were expressed to the effect that the variegation of their political sentiments was an unfortunate malady and that they sháuld work towards unity and mutual understanding by systematic meetings of this sort.
In the beginning of January the Manchoukuo Industrial Bank opened a branch office in the New Town district of Harbin, This is the first case since the liquidation of the Russo-Asiatic Bank of the banking industry venturing into the precincts of New Town, and as" the branch all the functions of the main office, it is expected to fill a Jong-felt need. From January 11 to 20 the Savings Bonds issued by the Industrial Bank were sold here, as well as in all other branches of the Bank and all Post Offices throughout Manchoukuo, One bond has a cash value of 10 gobi and is sold at 5 gobi, and its holder has the chance of being paid its cash value at each hi-yearly drawing and, at the same time, of winning up to 1,000 gobi.
That the Japanese emigrant in Manchoukuo is ill-accustomed to the rigours of that country's winter was revealed, incidentally, at a recent Rotary Club meeting when Mr. L. G. Zickman spoke on the spreading of the cold and its attendant diseases which is becoming little short of an epidemic, The majority of sufferers, it was stated, are the Japanese, who are unused to the peculiarities of the climate and contract, influenza, pneumonia, pleurisy and illness and even death often follow. Mr. Zickman suggested that brochures should be handed out to travellers on trains, instructing them in the simpler precautions against catching cold; such as keeping the coat buttoned in the frosty air and depending upon more than a Kimono after a hot bath.
THE blackboard, for so long the undisputed symbol of staid pedagogy, may now have to yield to the march of science. After lengthy experiments into the equipment and conditions of school
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.