Proprietors Squeezed as Result of New Closing Policy Certain Chinese in Shanghai are very much concerned at present with what they consider to be an attempt to make undue profits out of the closing order which is to apply to the licensed houses. These places, it will be remembered, are to be closed within the mext five years, @ proportion of licences to be withdrawn by lottery each year, The report, which we have reason to believe is well substantiated, is that the Chinese agents who coliccs the rents at the houses have informed the proprietors that a change has taken place in their ownership, and that the new landlord, or landlords, require the payment of "key-money'" to the amount of $100, $200, or $300, according to the class of house occupied. Further, the tenants have been informed that their rents will be raised, the additional rent asked for ranging from $25 to $40. It is estimated that the total additional payments asked for in this way reaches some $14,000.
Not a dollar has been paid, we understand, and the Chinese are protesting that the demand is a "profiteering" attempt to take advantage of the closing order. According to the conditions of their licences, the Chinese are prevented from moving to other houses, and they are thus in the position of having to meet the additional demands or close their houses.
We are unable to say whether change in the ownership of the premises concerned has_ actually taken place, but our information is that any such change would have to be notified to the police, and such notice does not appear to have been given. In these circumstances the key-money demanded may simply be a_ piece of "squeeze" by the rent collectors.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.