Peking, Mar. 11.
Peking now, for the first time in the city's history, has a house tax. For at least ten years, the authorities as they came and went. dave pleading honestly or that the local revenues were inadequate to maintain public works and pay the police. Certainly, public works have not been adequately maintained since Yuan Shit-kai's death, nor have the properly patd, but this no proof that revenues were inade-'To official appeals to submit house tax, the citizenry have never responded, whatever they thought of the relation between revertness and the upkeep of the city, fand time after time tax schemes. have been elaborately drafted, promulgated and When forgotten, because of the obstinate passive resistance of the resident 'Such resistance has been easy in the past, because house property is 8 favourite investment for officials all ranks and for influential gentry as well. While shops great and small, ricshas, bicycles, little roadside stands and pedlars' of all degrees were taxed without excep tion, it was possible for an active or retired official to own a million dollars worth of property in Peking. land pay no taxes whatever except the stamp taxes on his deeds, leases and Tent receipts—not even the land tax that the farmers immediately beyond the walls must pay.
The Modest Beginning A few months ago, the Fengtien authorness here broke down barrier of resistance and imposed a modest tax. There was 0 little Fesistarice that one is inclined to think that it was reasonable in the sight of the residents. Everywhere the police themselves were collectors. They pleaded poverty and gave verbal assurances, that things were so arranged that the receipts would actually benefit them. They had no difficulty in proving that they had not been Paid for four months and that they were actually reduced to hunger, living, with their families in miserable unheated hovels on millet and The rates were very modest, ranging from ten to forty cents a month per "chien" of house, meaning a section between cross-bea according to the character of thi tructare. Nothing but living quarters) was, counted, #0 that group of buildings representi EXplta Investment of, say, $10,00, often paid no more than 60 or 70 cents. a month. This, it was estimat ed, would yield between $100]000 and $150,000 a month, which would just about pay the salaries of the police. According to the announcement of the police chief, Mr. Chen Hain. when all receipts were in, they totalled $60,000 only.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.