Kiangsu possesses a city temple which is exceptionally well built and has a forest of idols installed within its walls, Recently, says the Chinese press, the district Kuomintang, the educational authority and the bureau of public safety, in consultation with the scholars city, decided to clear the idols of the temple and establish, within fils precinets a welfare club, The District Magistrate, Mr, cheng, had no decided views on thit matter but, as it seemed that the majority were in favour of this. move, the idols were removed from the temple and destroyed.
But there was a Taoist priest in the temple, named Pan, who yearly drew an income of several thousand dollars from the worshippers, Naturally, he resented the lessn of this. monty. There were also a number of "discreditable gentry" the city who objected to the pro-Posed use to be made of the temple, These incited a number of loafers in the city to set fire to the inner shrine on the night of the 8th instant. These fellows then beat songs, ostensibly to call people to save the place being destroyed by fire, When the crowd was gathered seether they began to rail againat the district Kuomintang and the other bodies which had agreed, to The. proposed change in. the statue of the temple. They suid they had smashed the Idol representing the city god and, not content. with that, they now set the temple on fire, If this was not put a stop to who! would these things end.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.