In receiving the shop keepers, /Mr. Quo Tai-chi is reported to have said, "I am much grieved over the present affair. Regarding—the aggressive attitude of the Shanghai Municipal Council, I have lodged strong protest with the Senior} Consul and with the Chairman -of the Munfefpal Council and Jdemanded that the Council's action be withdrawn and not. repeated. The aggressiveness of the Council is compelling the shops to close and similar unlawful actions show that the Council has lost its legisl tive spirit and temper as civilized body. These illegal acts of have. strong evidence that five restauramits serving foreign food and several sauce shops have already paid the increase in rates Jand that the association is very. [wrought up. They declare that by. this action they have broken the first firing line of the citizens' revolution and-that they have proved themselves to be the "running dogs of the foreign imperialists." A private meeting of Chinese rate: avers is said to have been held on Scnday at which it was decided that there were six ways of punishing such offenders and that these methods would be put into force when the question had been settled. They. jate said to have written.to the District Kuomintang and to the business unions to be on the lookont'for those persons who were paying the increase.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.