The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-04-27
JAPANESE NEWS.
To Build a New Railway Line.
The Tea Crop.

A new railway line is to be built between
Ikutagawa and Mitamachi, Kobe Ia distance
of about seventeen miles,. The cost of the
work is estimated at 10000 yen, half Of
which will be raised by the promoters, the
other half by the public.
The Jivu Shimbun says that a telegram
has been dispatched by the Government TO
the japanese Representative in London,
desiring h i'm to make arrangements for the
engagement of Mr.. Thomas Erskine Hol-
land as Legal Adviser to the Cabinet.
A lively and exceedingly bitter contro-
versy is in progress between the editor of
the Japan Mail and the correspondent of
the New York Herald, the former accusing
the latter of false representations to his
paper regarding japan affairs.
The MimpO says that gold has been dis
covered at Naganoyama of kUtomo-mura,
in w ate Prefecture. The vein is said to be
about four miles in length, and an ANALYSIS
of the ore gives per cent OF pure gold. Per
mission to work the mine has been applied
for.
Viscount Nomura Yasushi, privy coun-
cilor. is gazetted to be Envoy Extraordi-
nary and Minister Plenipotentiary to
France.
On the question OF real estate ownership
by foreigners in Japan, the Mail says: 1t
appears to he now pretty generally under
stood that the japanese Government IS dis
posed to withhold this privilege, in defer
ence to the clearly expressed wishes OF the
people. OF course the manner OF dealing
with the lands now held by foreigners
within the settlements demand and will re-
ceive special consideration, IL being pretty
certain that the japanese authorities have
not the least desire to enforce, or the
foreign representatives the smallest dispo-
sition to accept, any arrangement unfair or
illiberal toward the foreign land-renters.
ba Woal-Ity Eoyeita the failnrn
at BankOk of the firm of fucker, Sigg IL
Co., with liabilities of over million dol
lars. This is an old and Understanding firm,
and the failure is 4 result Of inability to re-
alize on outstanding claims.
About five grammes of DIR. koch's lymph
is reported as having reached Japan, and is
to be experimental with, after analysis, in
the hospital.
The first lecture meeting ever held by
blind people in Japan took place on Sunday,
the 9TH inst, in the MatsuOka-rO, Shinagwa.
The occasion was the formation Of society
to promote system Of selfgoVernment
among the blind.
The Shimpo asserts that although the
visit of the CZarevltch to Japan is ostensbly
made as an ordinary glObe-trotting tour, the
actual object seems to be an observation of
the efficiency of the military preparations of
tuat country, especially on its northern
frontier, consequently military officers and
engineers are attached to his suite. An
other rumor is to the effect that the object
of the tour seems rather made III order 10
display Russla's influence in the Orient than
for the purpose of observing the military
resources of the various countries to be Wis
tied: therefore, it is intended to have four
teen or fifteen vessels ready to accompany
him, and conduct some maneuyers in neigh
boring seas. Anyhow, 1t is clear that his
visit is not an ordinary one.
The HOng-KOng Telegraph says: Though
the officials in HankUw have been urging
the tea merchants to put forth their best
efforts at the commencement OF the tea-plck-
ing season, very few took the sound advice,
because of the scarcity of money and the
willingness on the part of native banks
to advance the necessary funds. This state
of things promises bad year. A few days
ago very wealthy man placed enormous
sums in the market which were quickly
taken up by the almost desperate merchants
in the tea trade, and now crowds of tea
pickers are being sent to the mountains to
gather the first crop.
Heavy snowfalls are reported from the
Tientsin district, which greatly helped the
winter wheat crop.
the establishment of water-works and
supply of pure drinking water at Canton
and Wuchang.
Large quantities of rice are being shipped
from Hang-Kong to Japan, where scarcity
exists, owing to a failure of last autumn's
crops in several large agricultural districts.
The CZarewitch and suite arrived in
Canton on the afternoon of Sunday, the 9th
inst. His Imperial Highness and Prince
George of Greece were entertained by NJ.
ImbauH Huart, Consul for France.
The reports just compiled show the total
foreign trade OF China for 1890 was PA, 2O7,-
961 taels, about 100000 taels more than
last year.
A movement is afoot to start two news
papers under native control. They will
probably be published in Shanghai. Tient-
sin, with 100000 inhabitants, has only one
Chinese newspaper, the Shi-pao. owned and
directed by foreigners.