At a meeting of the Chia Chu Tang Rice Guild held on Tuesday afternoon, some 300 shops were represented. In reporting on the negotiations, Yih Wei-chun stated that the acting secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Council hau sent a Chinese representative by the name of Koo to see Koo Hsing-i, a member of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, and asked that three representatives of Suild should proceed to the Secretariat and discuss the situation in a private capacity, Part of Mr. Yih's re port was as follows:
"What is the news of the rice situation" asked the acting sea retary. I replied that everybody, even those who were not in the tire business, was greatly alarm. ed at the situation, in that both sides were standing firm in their but do no business. If, after three weeks, there was no compromise they would ask their brother dealers in Chinese territory (no mention is made of the French Concession) to join in their strike.
The minutes of the meeting were forwarded to the Chinese authorities.
A Face Savine Device, It is stated that at a meeting held at another place on Tuesday it was decided that each shop would pay its two dollars to the Rice Guilds, who would in turn hand it over to the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce for trans: mission to the Counc The money to Lo sen& with the request that the Council, instead of sending the licences direct to the rice shops, would send them in a bunch to the Chamber, who would hand them over to the Guild. which would be free cither to hold them for the shops or distribute them. The aim of this step was to avoid handing the money over direct to the Council and was intended to he a sign of their pro test inst the new by-law.
This is the last concession, say the merchants, which they can allow the Council. Should the Council refuse to meet them half way, they will be compelled to strike and close their shops.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.