Friction Between Soldiers and Shopkeepers Tunwrae News: Sexvice.
Tientsin, Nov. 10.
The "Shan Hui," of Commercial Assembly, met yesterday and fixed the exchange rate of Fengtien dol-Tar notes at 180 copper cents to a. dollar, although the current. rate; for Yuan dollars is 280, The Assombly's action was taken to cope with the growing friction between Fengtien soldiery and local shopkeepers who refuse to take Mukden notes at par value as de-_ manded by the soldiers.
Most of the small shops adjacent tu the railway stations have closed, while many others threaten to fo low suit if compelled to trade at the plentifully: supplied Fengtiea five dollar notes, which they tend in payment for some small purchase "with the expectation of re.
silver money in exchange. 'Their method seems to be to buy a few coppers' worth of fruit or sweetments, tender a five dollar bill and demand four silver dollars and 90 odd silver cents in return. The shopkeepers have almost invariably_ refused to accept the bills and, to) avoid trouble, told the soldiers to. keep the purchased articles. They preferred to lose a few coppers worth of stuff rather than give up four dollars and 90 cents silver.
Claiming to have been insulted, but in reality more out of pique, many soldiers have cuffed the shop attendants and some nasty incidents have been prevented only by prompt tion of the local Pao An-tui, oF native police.
The Fengtien soldiers have adopted the attitude of a cong ing army and this attempt to fore tsin shopkeepers to buy their notes is merely another way of levying tribute. If the Fengtien soldiers in this neighbourhood wore to obtain silver for the! military paper money, Tientsin
have to part with shopkeepers and, merchants, would consider: sum of money. It is not corta! that the Shan Hui's decision will meet with Fengtien's official ay proval, but there is almost certain to be more friction. Fengtier will not approve of a loss of 100 coppers on the dollar.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.