OCR Text |
Show COSt OF LIVING IN ASA, Modern Improvements Havo Imposed Burden on Natives. During n recont tour In Asia of nearly near-ly sixteen montliB, from February, 1901, to June, 1902, in which I visited Japan, Korea, Uhlua, tho Philippines, Cochin China, Slam and Laos, tho Straits Settlements, Burmah, India, Syria and Palestlno, I found everywhere every-where a deep lnterost In tho changing economic conditions. Tho common pcoplo In Asia o.nro llttlo for politics, but tho prlco of food and raiment touches every man, woman and child at a sonsitlvo point "Almost everywhere tho old days of choap living aro passing awny. Steam-ora, Steam-ora, railways, telographs, newspapers, labor-saving machinery and tho introduction intro-duction of Western ideas are slowly but curoly revolutionizing the Orient Shantung wheat, which formerly had no market boyond n radlua of a few dozen miles from tho wheat field, can now bo shipped by railway and steamship steam-ship to any part of tho world, and in consequence every Chlnoso buyer has to pay moro for it In Hko manner now facilities for export havo doubled, troblcd, and in somo places quadrupled quad-rupled tho prlco of rico in China, Slam and Japan. Century Magazine, |