'The major portion of the 140th division, who are at present billetted the city, have been busy from ning Ni night re-grading and surfacing the city and suburban' roads. This pin had been advocated. by the previous magistrate but the Sian troubles put an effective stop fo the project and the stones and material gradually disappeared. premonitory order met. with Instant [response and each chien of shop= front supplied in the nature of 1,200 catties of crushed stone.
Coming right In the midst of the }busy season it proved a windfall for many of the unemployed besides being the means of clearing many plots of vacant ground which had been the dumping ground for such rubbish og small stones. and brickals, The stated supply had hardly been prepared when the men, company by company, arrived at the west gate and commenced operations. Working with unity and precision the youd was rapidly re-graded, gutters were prepared and other small do-tails attended to.
The hats and coats of the workers were piled in two neat orderly rows fon the sidewalk. After this the metal Surface was well rolled into the dirt foundation and the whole gradually rossed with a thick layer of sand carried from the riverside. A large quantity of tools and carrying baskets were required and scouting parties combed the city borrowing the nec-ex sary equipment.
Tt was very hard to raise any marked public-spiritedness on the prt of the people however: this may be partly due to the tact that whatever the intentions of the party' may have been. they evidently have exceedingly short memories and tool, like "family heirlooms, are best appreciated in the home, The same programme is being put into effect at Fengsiang and. many general improvements are being made.
"Modernizing Paokt The modernization of Paokl proceeding apace; within the last month or so the whole east suburb, a distance of three LI, has been completely re-modelled or built, At the present time some very fine bulld-ings, specially in the neighbourhood of the.railway station, are now. in the process of completion, 'The street, self, having been' widened and also straightened, is now In the hands the military' for the Anal touches.
The barrowman are engaged from dawn till dark wheeling Targe sacks of stones from the river and dumping them in readiness along the course. 'A-number of food shops at present housed close to the gate in. tents sould easily be closed or moved from such a prominent position. Glass has come into its own; windows, shop fronts and showcases' are silent witesses to the goods that are available.
Of course some queer things are produced by amateur workmen: one prominent building has its. glass Windows placed outside the protective iron "bars, on the street side, evidently to Keep the bars from getting bent, Another exhibit the rear of a local photographer's shop. The screen for the background vf his studio has painted upon it a life-sized "Model T Ford complete with: crank-handle and number plate. But the popularity of the" etudlo speaks for itself, Cameras are com-Into rapid and widespread. use all along the railway line.
Clocks Come into Own The Chinese, for centuries famed for their utter disregard to the claims nor importance of time their lives have at last bowed in snute acknowledgement to the all pervading demands of Tempus Fugit, It bogan at the Post Office with the appearance of a neat notice to the effect. that business would only be transacted within certain hours, a thing that has never been known' in the "history of the city before.
One morning, seeing the stair all assembled and busy at their pre-nary tasks prior to the opening the office, "a soldier pounded Juudly" at the wooden partition and Gemanded immediate attention. A heated argument failed to impress upon him the necessity for "waiting ho was on the spot with his letter, the stamps and slat were behind the counter, why wait for an hour? Now, however, such Is received with 4 Dland smile of stole Indifference, a veritable secret"ot perennial youth:
Now time and tide wait for no ian in Paokl and the railway of.
ials, with due gravity and sense of duty, said that passengers must be a hand several minutes before the sick. Somewhere "about midday we ro startled by the roar of some antiquated cannon near the gat belching forth a large smoke scree when this time is checked with sun, however, it reveals a remarkable degree of elasticity and un-reliability.
Radio time, local time: this last usually being' controlled by the sun the two substantial meals other time, which wary time has malady leaving bel
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.