satieal: Riesha Coolies: Crow ing Menace Iz ly not unreasonable to wonder exactly what are the functions of the Chinese Police these days and how far their powers extend—a suming that they have any. There is a certain Petty Officer of the American Destroyer:
would: like an answer to, the tion before he sets foot on shot again, in a peaceful capacity. There is an ever growing menace to thia port in the behaviour of the riesha coolies who haunt the cabaret dis tricts in the ex-German Concession. Drawn for the most part from the Toweit class these men have always been a potential source of trouble even when the officers of the law could carry their duties to extremes without protest, though ar times their behaviour was so. high-handed as to excite sympathy and Hin decent minded persons, Your ricaba ecole, however, is a born brigand and doubtless it was (and still fa) very necessary to use drastic meos sures in order to maintain a seme Dlanee of control, Now, however, the main duty of the Police appears to be that of looking the other way when trouble is on so that it may solve itself in prehistoric fashion by the simple rule of strength or numbers triumphing over weakness or the few. Our friend the Petty Officer is a case in point, Returning from liberty, and not knowing the topography of Hankow very wel, he fetched up at the German huhes in~ stead of off the French Cyncession and coolies, seeing that he was a stranger, proceeded to take him in. 'They raised cries of cumshaw, com sha' and being out-numbered by about fifteen to one the strange>* thought that it would be discreet to comply, He tendered twenty cent pieces but scenting that there were those hail the coolies would not be with les" than dollars, produced a ten dollar note then the fun began. They all manded ten dollars and finally in desperation he was compelled take t) the river, Splashing through mud and water he reached a lands i rer the Customs Howse and, making his way to the Bund, guile: leads sought protection from the law, Times are ard in these days of increased wages and large Union contributions and the officer seeing his sad plight and dishevelled state took pity After mulcting kim further in thy sum of only five dollars he con-
Bapanese broker in the native ity, was found to be can the value of $6,000 with w! was to purchase yen, He was not Permitted to enter the Japanese} Concession.
Automobiles and motor Buses were also stopped and the occupants searched. Whether as result of these measures or not, Sengpiao showed little fluctuation to-Gay, opening at $8.13 to the yen and closing at $8.14.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.