The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-04-01
BRYAN DESCRIBES GREAT AWAKENING OF 0WERY KINGDOM

, reforms that have been introduced into China within the last few years. among which may be mentioned the construe- | tion of railways. the establishment ot | a government Board of Commerce.. the | formation of a police force. municipal and provincial. the promulgation or ln- corporation laws and the establish | ment of hints.
 At first the railroads were built by | concessions issued to foreign compa-
 nies. but because of the constant diit- | culties which grew out of such con- | ce ssic ns there is a growing sentiment | in favor of government railroads. IL vas In the pursuance of this policy that the government acquired the | rights of the American company which
 was projecting a road from Hankow to Canton. Some of the Americans re- siding in China have expressed regref | that this road should have passed out | of Americaa hands. but I am satisfied
 that 1t is better for the United States that China should own the road than
 that 1t should be in the hands or TOT . eizners or even in the hands of Ameri- cans. It would be impossible to op- | crate rne road without more or less l friction. which would involve the coun- | tries in diplomatic controversies. IT | China operates the road herself we
 will have equal rights with foreigners
 without the risx involved in private ownership And. speaking of roads.
 the City of Peking is passing through an era of street improvement. Some | eIey en miles of pavement has been laid | within three years. and concrete side
 walks are making their appearance. The finances of China have been In | a miserable condition. Cash Is the money in common use, and these brass coins. running about 1000 to the dol | lar. are too heavy for any excepVng | the smallest transactions Think or doing business with money so heavy | that voa must carry 100 pounds or | money to make a $19 purchase' soma complairied of silver in the United l states because of its weight, but the | silver certificate completely answered | this argument. for silver certificate
 is as convenient as gold certificate and more convenient than gold coin; but in China they had no paper substi- tute The monetary unit Is called tael and If coined, would weigh about ono and one-third times the Mexican dollar but no coins of this denomination are in circulation. The Mexican dollar IS in common use. and in some or the provinces there are fractional silvc' coins But the Mexican dollar is so of- | ten counterfeited that 1t Is customary | to test each coin as 1t passes from hand | to hand. I secured one of the three n
 piece dollars as they are called. These are made by saving a thin disc from l each side of the dollar the silver Is
 then removed from the center and the
 cavity filled with lead and the two | faces soldered on. The work is done
 so skillfully that the counterfeit can | only be detected by the ring several
 of the banks issue paper notes payable l in Mexican dollars. but these are dis | counted in the various cities so that
 travellers currency Is always under
 going shave. The government has | decided to establish a uniform system | of currency, consisting of gold, silvcT and copper the silver tael to remain | the unit.
 Patent laws and trade mark laws
 are now being prepared; in fact. China | Is being duickeued in many ways by
 the increasing knowledge which she Is acquiring of the ways of Western civ | ilization They are even considering n change in the alphabet and characters in order that the language may he
 more easily learned.
 
 have already referred to the fact that China has until recently been