The Chinese authorities, it will be recalled, approached " various! members of the Consular Body with a request that their nationals should be requested to pay the tax. jin order to meet the general expenses of the Municipality, in connection with such matters as policing of the roads, street lighting, and the maintenance of peace British, Japanese and Portuguese Consuls-General, who wore most interested, advised their nationals t> pay as it was an equit~ table thing to do, We understand that most of the foreign residents in Chinese territory have consented to pay or have already: paid the tax, but so far number of factories and. mills have declined to accede to the request of the Chinese authorities. The office of the Mayor of Greater thai on Sept. 13 was unable to us with the names of those: who had refused to pay as the official returns had not been sent by the Commissioner Finance, Tu connection with this, it has to be borne in mind that foreigners have only been advised to pay, and: that the consular authorities have made no mention of any compulsion in the matter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.