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BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETIES 375showing a substantial increase in the number of issues showsa decrease of 64 in sales. On the whole the year must bepronounced to have been a good one for the tract societies.The tract societies do not lay great8 SIssuedemphasis on the production of new literature.They aim to produce evangelical tracts andgospel literature which shall be of perennial interest. It isdoubtful whether any tract society would accept a book ortract, however good, that had not in itself the promise andpotency of many reprints. The most popular tracts havebeen reprinted times without number. This years out-putof new tracts contains some for which a very wide circulation is anticipated.West China reports eight new publications of which sixare sheet tracts, one wall tract and one booklet.One of theseHankow has issued five new publications.is their annual calendar and one a new hymn-book, thecirculation of which is anticipated to run into many tens ofthousands.North China issued a set of fifteen new tracts, in verysimple language, called "Gospel Arrows," These are already having a very rapid sale. There are also three healthtracts by Dr. E. M. Kent, two booklets and two sheettracts by Chinese writers, six sheet tracts, an "Allegoryand a marriage certificate lithographed in colour. Thisseems a good year s work for a society which "passesoutof existence as a separate entity being now merged in theReligious Tract Society of North and Central China withheadquarters at Hankow."Shanghai. The Chinese Tract Society reports five booksand nine new tracts issued this year. Of these one book andeight tracts are by Chinese writers ;a welcome developmentof native talent.South Fukien has issued one new publication which isprinted in character and romanized. This society does aunique work in the production and circulation of romanizedliterature; no fewer than 34,681 issues falling under thishead.