Crops throughout this area have been unusually good and the rice} yield has been high. The farmers! have more money than ever before} from the sale of the crop, This money is not worth so much as prices of all commodities have more Jor less followed rice, 'The condition Jof the farmer is much better than the small shopkeeper and clerk class in Soochow itself, In the elly fuel food and clothing' have all advanced Jand the salaries" have nothing tke kept pace and many are clamouring. for any sort of home work for mem= bers of the family, Some seasonal work—brought orders for gloves and other articles for export, glove order kept Several thousands busy last summer, The knitting industry fs overcrowded and many machines now are idle either for Inck of orders or capital Most of the factories in Soochow, have been opened on a €o-operative basis and at least this is giving work for the needy, Several old gardens have been ro-conditioned and are taking on new significance under the present regime, The former garden of the Munehtis in the northern part of the city was all but a scrap heap several years ago, It now has been put Into condition for the use of oficial and their friends and knows a bit of its old splendour.
Roads have been generally _improved throughout the area and most bridges have been removed and. the cuts filled to assure the rosels being kept open, Petrol. is advancing price to the point where the private Individual docs not find it prestable operate his car, City streets are being repaired and made pascable, Cobblestone streets and heavy trame call for continual work, Church programmes are being car. ried forward" and the people are attending as never before, An vanicolistic campaign in Getober found all churches putting on a simultaneous campaign throughout the city and all preaching halls were. filled each day, Relief work con-_ tinues but on a very limited scale, cocktail receipe secreted in his waistcoat pocket. The dinner had snot arrived it was still on the sen; had been expected to come by the FEI. Meamer that afternoon, A calamity was averted by the Indies who threw themselves Into the breach, fought with pots, pans and singing kettles to save a' deplorable situation. Honour is due to the: fair sex and specially to Mrs More and Mrs, Bass for their Aight with a grim forlorn hope against time and satiny cocktails, and the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.