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Show COST OF LIVING IN ASIA. Modern Improvements Have Imposed , Burden, on Natives. 'f During a recent tour, in Asia of nearly near-ly sixteen months, from February, 1901, to Juno, 1902, in which I visited Japan, Korea, China, the Philippines. Cochin China, Slam and Laos, the Straits Settlements, Durmah, India, Syria and Palestine, I. found everywhere every-where a deep Interest in tho changing: economic conditions. Tho common peoplo In Asia care little for politics, but the price of food and raiment touches every man, woman and child at a sonsltlvo point Almost everywhere the old days of cheap living are passing away. Steamers, Steam-ers, railways, telegraphs, newspapers, labor-saving- machinery and tho Introduction Intro-duction of Western ldoas are slowly but surely revolutionizing tho Orient Shantung whoat, which formerly had no market beyond a radius of a few dozen miles from the wheat field, can now be shipped by railway and steamship steam-ship to any part of the world, and in consequenco every Chinese buyer has to pay more for It In 'llko manner new facilities for export havo doubled, trebled, and in some places quadrupled quad-rupled tho prlco of rico in China. 81am and Japan. Century Magazine. |