The local "Harbin Times" states that such a reply on the part of the telephone station does not satisfy the resident population and the fact that the telephone station has made a rate of 145 for silver is one which should not be permitted.
"The administrative establishments which have the right to exact taxes jin the silver dollar, change their rate of exchange according to the market and at present the rate of ade [exchange between local dollars and silver dollars does not exceed 25 per cent.
"The telephone station states that there is no. silver to be found in the town' but this is absolutely Incorrect as silver is quoted against focal dollars at 129, while silver dollar bank. notes issued. at Tien-{sor Shanghai are quoted at The staff of the Telephone A now receive it Phone, Administration should con sider it necessary to charge extra 20 cents because in their. opinion the Manchukuo note is only a money id not real silver currency.
The most interesting point in the Jwhole of the question is that a Manchukuo institution does not the Manchukuo bank 1 note as a silver one but simply as piece of paper which is worth. 25 ents more than the local dollar, rounds it should be worth these extra 25 cents is also not explained.
New Municipal Council concluded forthe. formation.
Preparations are being rapid
special Municipal Council which will control the whole of Harbin and its suburbs, and the present anicipal Couneil'and Town and. Suburb: ministration will then be abolished. Exact details of how members are to be elected to this new Council have not yet been published but it was learned. yesterday that three een invited -to the government ramment Russian, citizens have offices at Hsinking to discuss. the formation of the Council and to be themselves" members of it, These Russian candidates. are:——Mr, J. R. Kabatkin, President of the Harbin xchange Committee, Mr.
Sarmanoff, manager of the well-known" universal store of Tschurin & Ca, and Mr. V. Michkoit a large property owner. There is also to be a representative from the Japanese community of Harbin but no arrangements leen made for anyone, representing Jother national will be entirely aboli The financial posit is at present very serious as the [ter town has suffered enormous losses which it will be difficult to cover. The budget is estimat lout during the first si the financial year there is already a deficit of more than $700,000. Owing to the floods considerable reductions had fo be made in taxes thus caus-jing the town the losses of $150,000.
Lately taxes are coming in slightly better as payments. are being made at the rate of $6,000 per day, whereas a month ago' the highest "sum received in' one day was not more than $2,000.
Tt is expected that during 1933 ery heavy expenses wil have to be Incurred by the Municipal Council fas there will be much heavier repairs necessary to the streets than last year and it is yet impossible to say to what extent the floods jof last summer have undermined antee Sri it tae Tetor ase ese Ne See
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.