The untimely death in December of Miss Stella Benson set_ many Hong-Kong people to recalling their assulations with the vers woman writer.
She lived in t twelve ist of occup: been hers a few new one: taught In the Diocesan Boys' School, and later worked for the "Hongkong Dally. Pres" Even without the reputation of being a successful noveist, the name of Stella Benson would ive on in this Colony, where former students and other associates will keep her. memory fresh, The recent news item relating to the publication of her diaries, which have been left to Cambridge University with the condition that they shall not be made public for 50, years, has aroused a new interest in the novelist.
"Robert MacWhister" recalls that the "Morning Post" printed every article which Miss Benson submitted, That esteemed daily seems proud of the good taste which it displayed, even though Miss Benson was never given a Job on the staff. In fact, they seemed {0 think she was too quiet and soft to have the driving force necessary for a good journalist. And they were not even sure that proof-reader, the position to which she originally aspired, she would be much help in getting the paper to bed on time.
Now, however, when it comes tu be known that since the age of five Stella Benson had kept diaries so outspoken that, she long ago decided they must not be opened while those mentioned therein still saw the light of day, people in Hongkong wonder what she was saying about them.
"She wrote with a special eye.to throwing light. on the mentality of the people of her age," says Miss Benson's oldest brother, Maj Benson, of Much Wenlock, shire. "Bach volume had The book itself was bound in leather, and once finished and locked, T imagine that Stella threw away the key. have seen small portions of the cording to an unofficial report. Figures for imports and exports were $62,000,108 and $58,404,193, respectively.
"The heaviest imports came in during April and amounted to $7.740.700, while the slackest month was December, when goods to the value of $3,747,188 were admitted The best export month was Novem ber, estimated at $6,029,921, while the ull month was March, when th amount of goods exported was $3, 880,049.
These figures are taken to indicate that, notwithstanding the "Buy. Chinese" movement, and the many industries under government owner~ ship and operation, Kuangtung is still good market for foreign goods. many_of which are necessaries and cannot be replaced with native goods.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.