The merchants at the present time were suffering many. unnecessary hardships and the losses Inicted on them were unbearable, yet the Kiangsu Government was demanding money from a beggar's pocket. What the Government an thorities should do, said our inform fant, should be to' abolish all taxes on coal, instead of increasing existing ones and enforcing new ones. They should come to the assistance of the industry by' giving the coal merchants every" possible help-—even to the extent of capitalizing them. "But, the Government have money and they have to get it Somewhere and from someone. And the coal merchants are the victims.
Tu this connection, itis of interest to note that the' Chung Hsing' Mining Ca. and its properties have been more of less confiscated, in spite of the protests of the Government authorities that they are only. making an investigation" into the affairs of the company.
A deputation ha" been appointed by the shareholders of the Chung Hsing Company to interview Jing members of the Government and Gen. Chiang Kai-shek to request that the order for the liquidation and confiscation of the company should be cancelled without delay.
Certain local bankers, who have important financial interests in this company, have likewise cent rex presentatives to Gen. Chiang Kaishek with a similar request and the latter is understood to have telegraphed to Mr: Yui Fei-peng, the? Tiquidator (who, by the way, was' Superintendent ' of Customs-~- ini Shanghai after the Nationalists. occupied this port), instructing him to postpone the date for the confication of the company and ita assets.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.