The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-04-16
GENERAL NEWS
Y OF THE ORIENT.

y - - - - - - >-S-N@-N~SsNSy~~Sls
An Osaka paper. received by the steam
er Riofun Maru yesterday has an inner.
esting note on the prevailing conditions
of commerce in Japan 1t appears that the
trade returns for January and February
showed an excess Of imports amounting
to s., 10000. and Il Is believed that this
may amount to SOS 90 900 BY the end OF
the year. The outflow of money must be
correspondingiy large" comments the ps-
per. and attributes this to the expansion
or the currency. japanese society has
become fast OF late" il continues ''and
the demand for Injuries is greatly increas-
ing. which some give as the cause Of the
excess of imports" The volume OF Jap
anese foreign trade last year was S;O7 COO. =
COO, an increase OF s per cent. compared
with 1894. land II Injuries alone are con-
sidered," SAYS this journal, there is an
increase Of 2l0 per cent"
The paper submits figures showing that
last year 10000 was spent for cameras,
against 500 in 1891: 5000 for watches
against SIS 600: $4,000 for foreign clothing,
against $4,000; 5000 for musk scent
against 81 COO: sl.Ss2.00o for sugar, against
1881 600; $1,000 for tobacco. against 500 900;
s22, 900 for wines and spirits, against Sis-
coo: $500 for sandal wood. against SEQ:
1850 for gold and silver coins and gems
against $50; and si2,500 for perfumery,
against 500
Or. Toyama Shoichi, former minister OF
education Of Japan, is dead.
Amendments TO the Japanese common
school law are contemplated with view
to the adjustment OF fees and the enforce
ment OF compulsory education. The term
OF attendance. which ia eight years. VIII
be shortened one % TWO years.
Official returns on the epidenics in
Osaka last year show the following flg-
rres. Cholera. nine deaths, twenty-four
cases: dysentery. seventy-eight deaths, iea
cases, plague. eight sen deaths twenty
four cases: smallpox. one DEATH fifteen
cases: typhoid s,xty-one deaths. 2lS cases
measles. one case. no deaths; diphtheria.
166 deaths ss9 cases: scarlet fever, five
cases no deaths.
Tokyo had a population In 1898. accord
ing to the latest official returns OF l. as 76c
TIE number of houses there was 3l0.is7
The Japanese government will establish
a commercial museum at Kobe.
The fire at Yokohama in February de-
stroyed 324 buildings
The japanese battlcship Fuse, which was
sunk last year and subsequently raised
has been repaired and is ready for sea
a~ain.
Rev Clark. founder of the Christian
Endeavor movement. is lecturing In the
Orient on his way to London to attend the
international conference next July.
The Japanese government will spend
500 600 in getting ready for habitation the
special settlement sites In China.
Influenza is causing many deaths In
Japan, and among others three members
Of the diet have died from II.
A Frenchman is arranging TO establish
a calico and cotton velvet factory in Jap
an at n cost OF s2.Jooo00 to sSleO,0Oo.
The officers in the Japanese military
service at the end OF 1899 numbered 1853
including ak generals. twenty-one leu
tenant generals forty-sight major gener~
ais, ninety-siS colonels, lis lieutenant col
onels ASS majors, l3N captains 500 lieu
tenants and 1902 sublieutenants
The number of commercial comma MES
operating In Hiroshima is thirty-eight an
increase from twelve in 1894. and the sub
scribed capital amounts to si.as9 90
against $3.50. 600 In 1894.
one OF the japanese fishing companies
has declared the extraordinary dividend
OF l70is per cent per annum.
Japan's imports for February amounted
10 SOS. 10000 the exports 10 $4,000 go ex-
ports Of gold and silver to 1897 0no. and
imports of geld and silver to $3.50 900
The tonnage of shipping arriving at
Yokohama in January was as follows
Japanese. 166s12; English 1850; Amcri-
can. 100s5: German. 1890 other. CHS
Figures on the same for Kobe were, Ian
Is.
col; German. 25.0s5: other. siii For Nag
asah the figures were as follows. Japan
csc. 9,2N; English. $3.50, Russian. 49, 7ee:
German. 1s.447: other. 1887.
Elaborate preparations are being made
for the approaching marriage festivities
OF the Japanese prince. A general sub
scription will he taken throughout Japan
10 raise fund to erect a fine art museum
in commemoration Of the auspicious went
and the government win issue 500 40 ne
mortal postage stamps, which viii bear
representations Of all the articles used in
the ceremony. a chrysanthemum ana 4
Paulonia wcyen In with the crest OF the
Kujo family. and the date Of the cerc-
monv.
A law went into effect April prohibit
ing minors from smoking tobacco Par
ents and guardians who neglect 70 prevent
minors from smoking are 20 he ined 70.
exceeding ~ cents. and those who ssD TO
hacco or smoking apparatus for the use
Of a minor are 10 be fined not exceeding s.