Hankow, Jan. 12.
Although the efforts of the local uthorites to collect the. business failed Choy, has fail are gradually imposing ej an Tndireet manner.
cargo. that has to pass through the Bureau of Inspection fand 'Testing of Commercial Com modities has now to pay the business Tax and until the receipt of the tax office is presented, the bureau will rot issue' their certificate which means that the goods cannot pass Brrough the Customs for shipment This discrimination is having a further effect on the ever-declining {trade of the port, and i is certain that unless something is done to [stop the ramp, the trade of Hankow Wil Be a thing of the past.
'The import duties have also bit the individual very forcibly. during [hey the past month, when Christmas presen ateiine through, the post wwe obliged the recipients to pay alor as much es the Chines or ginally cost, This ion cer fainly' knocks all the pleasure out of receiving gifts, from the home folk, and will'no doubt do a lot towards stopping them from being sent in future.
The Registration Fee The question of the new registrafers. for British subjects. tus [fy deen freely discussed and. the fsensus. of opinion coincides that of Shanghai as published in the Press, It is not so much the amount of the fees, but, the of applying them that is the great objection. was told the other day that this is not the first time that discriminating effort has been made to apply the fees, as in the 1870's the 'Government imposed one tax for gentlemen, which was in the neighbourhood of ten, guineas, and nother for traders which was' very nominal, The consequence was, that there were no "gentlemen" China.
"There is an unconfirmed report that some of the Government troops which were stationed on the Han-int of arrears of pay, and sold their rifles, and ammunition, besides other arms to. the Reds, thus increasing the opposition from that quarter. The report goes on to state Gat the men were from the 33rd Division and numbered a few thousand, Troops have been sent to the Further details of the armed rob bery at the International Race Club show that the truck which contained '$18,000 was actually held up on the Bios premises during the Test race of ths day. The driver threatened with pistols and. knives wan com-End skirting the Native City, pro-lied' to drive out of the grounds fed along the Toad ta, Chischow. Was told. to. stop, and the robbers wen near the Union Hospital he
who were five In number having Bilo "hei poet ith ax, mech Tioney_as they could carry—it Ail in notes—deeamped leaving. be-'Rind about $4.000 which the seared driver returned to, the Club, So far fo arrests have. been made. Al Though the local Gendarmerie are FRince meetings, they. were nowhere td" to. afford protection at, the in sight when the holdup occurred.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.