Octroi Activities Over the Week end Was M.P.'s Pinched in a Gamble in Bonds Peking, July 10. troversy on the Octroi Administration is evidently trying to systematize its methods of collection. Week-onders from Pei-taiyo are now confronted by a posse of Octroi police, all smartly uniformed, and of course more than sufficient for the purpose, whose job it is to. shepherd the detraining passengers to the Octroi examiners. These officials, also smartly uniformed, require all passengers to display the contents of their bags on a newly-erected counter. Last week-end the display seemed to be the usual array of night attire and changes of clothing that one would expect find after a trip to Peitatho, and the officials gained nothing from their examination except the chaff of the examiners. The chalk was much ip evidence, and its expeditious delay to a matter When the travelling bag assumed the appearance of a laundry bag on being opened up, the Octroi men chalked it without further ado. It was a relief to be introduced to some kind of system by the Octroi, and to make the acquaintance of officials who were well plastered with their responsibility The M.P.'s in our midst are called anything but responsible members of Parliament. The following story entitles some of them to the deseription of naughty children who don't Imnow how to take care of their pocket money. In common with other public servants, they were granted part of their arrears of salary at the time of the last festive fal settlement. They received on the average about $800 each, Instead, however, of putting ft in the stocking to eke out an arid future, Hundred or #0 of the more advent turous spirits determined to try their luck with 96 Million, Dabbling with bonds in $10,000 denomination, they were quickly caught in an oscillating market, and now they fare mourning the loss of their salaries, Better far to have given the money to the police.
Other Parliamentarians are playing fast and loose with their sala. ries, too. They are too serious. gninded to bother about the money market and. its fluctuations, preferring to devote their time tothe concoction of telegrams to European governments and personages. Of Into they have developed quite a passion for this medium of express sion, the indulgence of which, judging "from recent examples, entails the expenditure of much money as well" as thought Lengthy cables have been sent to the British and French Governments demanding the reali of their respective Ministers to Peking, while Mr. George Lansbury has been hailed as a collabora-for in the stamping out of "the demon of imperialism' for asking '8 question in the House of Commons on. the Cockchafer incident. Mr. Lansbury can be almost as verbose as a Chinese M.P,, but it is hardly to be expected that he will reply to this message in the same strain, He was " business man before was a Labour M.P., and the cost of a disquisition similar to that from Peking would undoubtedly appel his thrifty soul, "The police authorities have decided to take the bull bythe horns and levy the police tax. It was approved by the Cabinet' sometime ago, but the Peking people have signified on more than one occasion that they would have none of it. Regulations have now been drawn up, and distributed in, various sections of the city. According to these regulations, foreigners as_well Chinese are to be mulcted in certain sums according either to the grade of the house or the grade of the manner of living of the householder. A most peculiar system. No clearly-defined method of collection seems to have been devised, and one gathers that the tenant 13 at the merey of the collector, who has the inquisitorial job of assessing one's standard of living and possibly of fixing the tax accordingly. Foreign protests have now been added to those of the Chinese dents, not particularly because object to helping the policeman, who is ten months behind in his pay, but because of the official arrogation of a right of taxation that has yet to be admitted. It seems likely that the levy. will
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.