In three Kuangsi cities Lanchow, Kueilin and Nanning an epidemic of spinal meningitis, in a. violent form, has broken out. It seems to have originated in Kueilin, but since March 17 to have become bad {in those other large towns.
Infants and children up to seven or eight years old have been stricken more than older and Kueilin there have been over twenty deaths, all among very young patients. "Twelve have died in Lanchow, some of these being adults. In Nanning, seven have succumbed the effects of this malady.
'A. service to stamp out this epidemic has been hastily organized. Physicians are even _stopping pedestrians, obliging persons that! appear to be not so strong or well to undergo an examination.
Steamers v. Railways Native steamers' on the Canton-
Hongkong run have their fares down so low—ten cents for a third-class passage on some—that they fare vastly overcrowded. It is cut-throat competition which is not Productive of profits, even for the companies that are "selling tickets cheapest. And naturally trafic has dropped off on the Canton-Kowloon Railway.
Early morning and late afternoon' trains are expresses, but they are] being largely deserted for the cheap steamers. The railway administration is improving service by its 1255 train a fast one, since this is an hour when there are no. steamer departures it believes the public will show its pleasure by giving its patronage.
Engines on the mid-day trains are not 50 new as the express locomo~ tives. To make up for this shortcoming the 1255 express. will stop fewer stations even than the Jother- fast trains.
Starting times for the _native boats have been upset. Customs officials have to clear out the excess crowd when the limit in numbers Laid down by their rules have been reached and this has delayed the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.