The Swatow-Chaochowfu railway has been in existence now for well over twenty years, and though, when itwas initiated, it was understood that it was to form part of mien wider scheme, nothing has 30" far been cone in the way of further developments. Now it is stated that there is @ project on "foot for making a branch line" from some oint midway" between here and Chacenowtu to the district city of Kielyang, and from there continuing it northward through the Hako country, and eventually linking' it up with "one of the main lines {in Kiangsi, The scheme, it is statea, has received the sanction of tne Ministry of Communications, and the proposed route has been surveyed three umes.
"The capital required for the complete scheme is reckoned at over $2,000,000 and, that, no. doubt, will be the rub; but li is" proposed to carry through the work in. sections, Deginning with the branch line 10 Kielyang. 'That involves no serious engineering diticulties, as it will pass Through perfectly Mat country, and might well be completed in a' short time. At any' rate it is cheering know that' such developments ate Doing even "discussed as probable. This Line would eventually join up with the projected Canton-Swatow line at Kietyang, and would no doubt become part of that main me, another considerable failure of the frst rice harvest as there was last year.
Rain came in concentrated form on the morning of the 8th of this month, when over eight Inches of rain felt In twelve hours. 'The street drains were usual quite unequal to cop.ng with such a downpour, and large areas of the town were' badly flooded. A certain amount of damage was done to the fields up country, and there were grave fears that it it should continue for another twelve hours at anything like the same rate there would be many breaks in the dykes between here and Chacchowfu, owing to the very sudden rise of the river. It cleared off, however, as suddenly fas it had come, leaving a legacy of blessing behind it in replenished wells and water-holes and good hopes for the coming harvest.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.