Rice—The rice situation in Shang-was normal during the frst. six months of the year but towards the fend of June, supplies of grain from the interior' declined "and in con sequence prices soared. With the approval of the S.E.C, the Bean and Rice Dealers' Guild placed a unit-on the wholesale prices. of rice, vie: $21 per zar for Kan Mee and' $17 per zar for See Mee, but this relief was only temporary as in August stocks were so reduced as to cause n rise te $42 por zar and a timber of shops ere without supplies while others limited their sales to emall quantities. A slight improvement was noticeable pplomber and. Octobe wards the end of the tion again deteriorated and in order animent local stocks rice dealers egan to import forei December 10, in consequence of the continuous increase in the price, new Timit of $45 and $38 per 21 Mee and Seo Mee respeevery was enforced. These rates were Inter reduced to $40 and §33.
Eight cases of attacks on rice shops were recorded in August and 73 in December when 147 persons were arrested, 16 being charged and brought' before the Shanghai Special District Court. In December, six Chinese connected with the" rice trade were warned by the Police fo suspected unscrupulous manipulation of rice while another Chinese wat charged before the first Special District Court with an offence of a similar nature pud was sentenced to 15 days' imprisonment. The average prices of Fiee for 1939 are as follows Kan Mee $2176 to $2142 per "zar' "Sivas fo Sinao per "2a 840 per "za Bacember only)
Newspapers and Publications.—541 Alifferent kinds of publications comprising Chinese newspaper, periodic cals, magazines, and mosquito newspapers, and English, French, German, Russian and Japanese newspapers periodicals were regularly perus-fed during 1939 and translations of articles of interest {o the Police "were nade daily. The editors of £9 pibications were cautioned for publish Jing objectionable matter while 18 publications were either suppressed suspended temporarily for offences fof a more serious nature. For pub: ishing indecent articles or selling Joint Board of Film Censors of the International Settlement and the French Concession, and finally pass ed in an amended' form. The police censors also" examined and passed film press books. and - advertising fatter. "The countries of origin of {he firing are ts follows Germany 7220 2 Totat. has There were at the end of 1090, 27 cinemas in. the International. Settlement and 13 in the French Cancer sion,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.