There are many complaints among the people as to the increase in their taxes. Such necessary articles as salt, matches, tobacco, spirits, and certain lines of imported goods have risen considerably in price because of the government impost. Since the first of the year an office has been opened in this city for the taxation of in-and-out-going parcels handled by the Post Office. The Post Office in this city is the second importance in the province. Many wholesale shops, particularly those handling silk goods, make large use of the Post Office. These increased taxes would be paid with greater cheerfulness, no doubt, if the people were certain where the funds all went.
Robber Bands, The Shansi people are still feeling the effects of the revolution of three years ago. In that winter a large number of rifles were scattered throughout the country districts by fleeing soldiers. These have come into the hands of banditti in the mountain districts, and for these three years a harvest of outlawry, has followed. The most notorious of the bandit chiefs, Ch'en Ts'ai-chang, has at one time and another had as many as 300 followers. They have made their headquarters in the difficult mountain districts of southern Shansi, Ch'en's band was handsomely defeated and scattered some months ago, but of late there have been rumours of renewed activity. Bands of outlaws infest the roads, especially about the higher mountain passes. Some rather important roads, as for example that through Kuwo in southern Shansi, have been rendered unsafe, Rich families have been robbed, and Luanfu in the southeast, cemeteries belonging to wealthy families have deen desecrated, the graves opened and robbed of their treasures, The police occasionally engage these bandits, not always successfully, Beg to announce that the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.