Salt is government. controlled, and there is a great deal of suffering in country places because of the injustice of the manner of distribution. People must register and a few ounces only is permitted for each member of a family, but when it gets to the country, it is often wet, adulterated and uneatable. Favouritism and profiteering exist. There seems to be sufficient salt if it could only be properly distributed. Country people come to the city trying to get salt but go away disappointed. Many places are so remote that none is obtainable. Five county officials are being changed, and one wonders whether the salt scandal is not at least partially the cause.
Travel between here and Changsha is slow and tedious, for only the smallest launches, often pulling several small Chinese boats, can pass, the rapids, and it takes all day to make the trip.
The Hunan-Hweichow Railway staff is moving out this week to oth: fields of labour. Their furniture has been stored and one man is being left to look after it. Siangtan has become a forwarding centre for export materials, and the China Trust Ca. has opened offices in the city.
The railway to Siangsiang and the motor road as well are torn up. This motor road was the first piece of road built and an American engineer was in charge. It has been a model for Hunan roads, and it seems a pity that it should have had to be destroyed. Chair-bearers are reaping a harvest again for they charge $2 for one day with extra for rice on the way. The covered wheel barrow has come into use on some country roads, Tt is slower than the sedan chair but takes only one man to push it, but so many country roads are out of repair that this sort of locomotion leaves much to be desired.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.