Owing to the general depression in trade throughout North Manchuria 9 grea, meeting has been held in Harbin to discuss what measures could be taken to improve the situation the meeting being attended by the: presidents of the Harbin and Foo-Chlatien commercial societies, re-pretentatives of the flour mills and li mills, representatives of the grain merchants, members of the exchange! committee, as well as representatives many' other organizations Greater Harbin.
The question of how to overcome the economic crisis in North Manchuria and more particularly in Harbin Itself, was discussed in many ways, the result of the discussion showing that the general opinion is thet the Harbin market is in an ex: ceedingly difficult situation, and the future looks even blacker, as there fare no prospects of an improvement trade.
"The reason of the crisis was put down to the absolutely dead state of export of Manchurian raw materials, this again being explained by the heavy railway tariffs and the many taxes which interfere with the normal despatch of cargo. In former days when the clouds of depression appearelon the horizon high railway freights and all kinds of taxes id' not "interfere with the export as they do at present, when the country has fallen into sich a heavy depression that it is absolutely neces~ sary {o re-examine the structure of taxes and the rates charged for com-
'The meeting also recognized th the goods turnover was considerably hindered by customs dues which are charged on cargo carried on. the Sungari River, the meeting consider-that this' was not normal. and decided to insist on the cancelistion of the customs rates.
During the discussion it was discovered that all cargo shipped by the Sungari River is being charged with a river tex in connection with work for the deepening of the San-sin rapids, but the work has already been concluded, and now the tax is being charged without any reason. The meeting, therefore, decided to demand hat this river tax on cargo should also be abolished. was further resolved that 2 special petition should be drawn up) from all Manchurian commercial organizations and that this petit Should be taken to Hsinking and handed to the Manchoukuo Govern ment. This petition will show the poverty stricken position of the Harbin "market and "will make an application for the passing of the above measures, which are absolutely necessary, to meet the present severe Tokyo, Dec. 12, Increased employment of men Japan's booming war " industries played'a major part in decreasing the Humber of jobless in the nation Sotaso by August 1. 8 survey by she Social Affairs Bureau of the Ministry at. the. Interior released. to-day. Fevealed, This represents an increase of" 4120. employed persons. In comparison to duly Of the. flat "unemployed 62341 were "white collar" workers, 181844 dally labourers and" 117.764 other tollers. "Compared to. Aust 1 1938 It Tepresents a total decrease of 46,000. Jobless.
Meanwhile. various university authorities have' forbidden students to make applications for jobs before graduation on the ground that their Studies are suffering from these extracurricular activities.
Students in applied _chemstry, jmechnical science and metallurgy tre said to be already in demand by Industries producing war materials. Japanese universities hold graduation ceremonies in March.
The Tokyo Imperial University has. received 337 offers of positions for the 325 men in next year's graduating class in mechanical science.
Six have come from the South Manchuria Railway Company, 18 from the Kawasaki Dockyard Company, 14 from the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' Company. nine from the Mitsubishi Engineering Company, 10 from the Osaka Engineering Company, 10 from the Japan Steel Company and nine from the Japan Precision Engineering, Company.
Graduates of the Tokyo Technieat College and of the technical sections fof private schools are also said to be in great demand—Rengo.
Attack on Mr. N. K. Roerich A short time ago, the well-known Mr. N. K. Roerich, ar-harbin and was received acclamation by all the leading literary societies of Harbin, more especially a great fuss was of him by the White Russian' the "Harbinskoe
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.