Nanking, July 18.
With the view to averting a possi [ote shortage in rice due to the long [drought, local rice merchants. ha [decided' to import a large quantity lof foreign rice during the next few months. For this purpose the muni-Jeipal authorities have been asked 10 credit facilities from the Tt is estimated that Nanking, with'
population of approximately. 700,- 1000, consumes 105,000 piculs of rice every month. The present stock, mated at 180,000 piculs, will last about a month and a half and every effort is now being made to increase the stock.
Rice merchants here suggest the Importation of between 600,000 and "700,000 piculs of foreign rice so that the food supply of Nanking will be Jensured till next spring—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.