世界日報
- Beijing–Hankow Railway Administration: Important notice No. 246
- Beijing–Hankow Railway Administration: Notice No. 245
- Commercial Press: Thirtieth anniversary, great bargains and gifts
Railway notices give practical consequences of rolling-stock shortages: two express services between Beijing and Shijiazhuang are replaced by ordinary trains carrying freight wagons, and earlier late arrivals are blamed for cancelled departures. The largest advertisement presents Commercial Press anniversary coupons for textbooks and discounts on stationery and books. This first page records transport arrangements and consumer information rather than a conventional front-page news roundup.
This advertising and notices page is read through two complete railway notices and the main terms of the Commercial Press promotion. Small-print exceptions and the remaining advertisements are outside the selection.
Translation
Beijing–Shijiazhuang expresses replaced by mixed passenger and freight services
Peking–Hankow Railway Administration. Urgent notice No. 246.
To redistribute rolling stock and facilitate transport, special express trains Nos. 7 and 8 between Beijing and Shijiazhuang will cease running with immediate effect. Ordinary passenger trains Nos. 21 and 22, with freight wagons attached, will instead be formed to carry passengers and goods daily between Beijing and Shijiazhuang. Notice is hereby given for the information of all concerned.
September 11, year 15 of the Republic of China.
Late incoming trains leave two departures without rolling stock
Peking–Hankow Railway Administration. Notice No. 245.
Because the northbound passenger train was delayed and did not arrive on the 4th of this month, southbound passenger train No. 2, scheduled to run on the 5th, had no locomotive or carriages and was cancelled at short notice. Passenger train No. 25 from Beijing to Baoding on the 5th also did not run, because No. 24 had not arrived and no locomotive or carriages were available to form a replacement. Notice is hereby given.
Commercial Press advertises book coupons and anniversary discounts
The Commercial Press. Thirty-year celebration. Huge reductions! Generous gifts!
(A) Buy primary-school textbooks to the value of one yuan in cash and receive three book coupons totalling one yuan and two jiao; spend five jiao and receive two book coupons totalling six jiao.
(B) Buy secondary-school textbooks to the value of one yuan in cash and receive one book coupon worth two jiao.
(C) Buy other books published by us to the value of one yuan in cash and receive one book coupon worth two jiao.
(D) Instruments, stationery and toys: a further ten percent off the original net selling price.
(E) Original foreign-language books and books sold on consignment: a further five percent off the original net selling price.
Context
A passenger train could also carry freight
The railway administration proposed attaching goods wagons to ordinary passenger trains in place of the special expresses. This combined two kinds of traffic within the available trains and equipment. The notice makes the purpose explicit: redistribute rolling stock and keep transport moving. For passengers, the change meant losing the express service; for the railway, it offered a way to carry both people and goods between the same cities.
Train services depended on the arrival of reusable equipment
The cancellation notice exposes the circulation of locomotives and carriages behind a timetable. An incoming service supplied the equipment needed for a later departure, so a delay could disrupt the next journey as well. With no spare set available, the administration could not simply substitute another train. This was a practical vulnerability on a line that also formed part of the longer Beijing–Hankow route used for intercity travel.
Textbooks had become a major publishing market
Founded as a Shanghai print shop in 1897, the Commercial Press expanded into textbook publishing in the early twentieth century as modern schools developed. That history helps explain why primary- and secondary-school books lead its anniversary promotion. The advertisement addresses educational purchases alongside stationery, instruments and foreign books, presenting the publisher as a supplier for study as well as general reading. Different coupon offers gave it a way to encourage purchases across those markets.
Original
京漢鐵路管理局緊要廣告 第二百四十六號
京漢鐵路管理局緊要廣告 第二百四十六號
啓者 本路現因調濟車輛便利運輸起見 自即日起 將往來北京石家莊之第七八兩次特別快車停止開行 另組第二十一及二十二兩次尋常客車附掛貨車 逐日往來北京石家莊間載運客貨 合亟佈告仰衆週知此佈
中華民國十五年九月十一日
京漢鐵路管理局廣告 第二百四十五號
京漢鐵路管理局廣告 第二百四十五號
本月四日因北上客車遲延未到 致五日應行南下之第二次客車無機車車輛臨時免開 又五日由京至保之第二十五次客車亦因二十四次未到 又無機車車輛可以另組 致未開行此佈
商務印書館 三十年紀念 大廉價 大贈品
商務印書館 三十年紀念 大廉價 大贈品
（甲）購小學教科書 滿實洋一元 送書券三張 計實洋一元二角 滿實洋五角 送書券二張 計實洋六角
（乙）購中學教科書 滿實洋一元 送書券一張 計實洋二角
（丙）購其他本版圖書 滿實洋一元 送書券一張 計實洋二角
（丁）購儀器文具玩具 照原售實價 再打九折
（戊）購原版西書寄售圖書 照原售實價 再打九五折