A heavy fall of snow last night provided residents with a beautiful panorama of White on awalcing. this morning. Tt wag the heaviest fall {his geason and coming as It has {ust the ove of the Spring Festival hhotldays, it was a happy augury, he farmers of course are delighted but fownsmen and pedestrians having to mush through "the slush were not Tory happy im their impossible efforts AL Reeping feet ary.
This heavy fall of snow should do uch, to-erndleate the incidence of ihe droud smallpox, '@u"and other Aligeoses, w few cases of which were reported last week in this normally scheduled to commence on March 14 with a one-day meeting.
1M, M. Consut's Transfer The Alexanders of the British Consular Service have been much feted cruiser and dined recently by their foreign and Chinese friends In view of their: Impending departure. for Shanghat where Mr. Alexander is being transferred, Mrs, Ellen Ollerdessen, wite of Mr. Bort Ollerdessen of Shanghai, Government paper and flour mill supplier, arrived by alr with her younger son Henry on Saturday, Feb. 6, reporting an Ideal initial ying experience and commented on the courteous attention of the personnel of the Dotalas plane. They intend leaving again to-day and Secret Fortifications for Hongkong Hongkong, Feb. 18. Military authorities here an-
Stanley "Peninsula, "Hongkong Island, for which purpose th are closing to the public approxi mately two square miles of land, The date of commencement of programme has not yet been dis~ closed but tenders are already bbelng called for the construction of large barracks costing £ 120,000.
Although the military authorltes are not inclined to discuss details at present, it is understood that formidable anti-aircraft {fences are included in the scheme.
Defence manceuvres by land, sea and alr on a scale never before attempted in the history of Hongkong are to be carried out about the middle of March, although the exact dates have not yet been disclosed. Approximate ly 26,000 troops and naval forces will take part In addition to 25 warships of the China Station and the gar risen of Hongkong, about 1,000 troops are coming from Singapore for the manoeuvres. Singapore is algo sending a squadron of flying boats, The Colony's anti-air defences will be specially tested. The newly-formed Naval Volunteer Corps has undertaken to patrol the entire coast-line—Reuter.
Firms of all nationalities are clos~ Ing. for the holidays, which. short wile ago, was frowned upon by the National Government, and already an occasional boom. nnd sharp. ers fare. heard, the prelude to" another bombardment of firecrackers to usher in another New Year.
the Paper Hunt on Sunday was held inthe district near. the Prinz Heinrich Mountains, between itis Hue and Shatszakou! and due to the fine weather a large crowd sas out to watch the finish, There were fourteen Thrusters"out—one of "the biggest (urnoule this seagon—and. after an cightnile run, finished as follows, 1 {he order "named: "Messrs, Meyns, Alexander and DrAlton, These three Fiders ave not been very prominent in the weeldy cards turned in and Was good to seo. them placed ahead the others, though {twas hard ick "on" young. Eckford. being disqualified for second place for some Infringement.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.