Revenue Office for Payment of $500,000 Monthly From Our Own Correspondent.
Chinkiang, Mar. 31.
There is no little excitement over at Shiherhui, the port on the Yangtze for the export of salt. It was rumoured some time ago that the Chinese Navy intended to hold up the export of salt, until the promises made to it in 1921, that $500,- 00 per. month would be paid over 5 it, should be fulfilled. For a time the money was paid out of salt revenue but gradually the amounts grew less, so that now there are 10 months' arrears. Last Wednesday might, Commander F. T. Hsu with four ships of the Chinese Navy anchored off Shiherhui and one gunboat anchored off Kua-chow, the northern entrance to the Grand Canal. On the next day, the commander went up to Yangchow to interview the Commissioner of Salt revenues and to place the Navy's demands before him. What is now asked for is that $500,000 per month be paid out of Salt revenue direct to the naval authorities and not through the Ministry of Finance. The Commissioner has reported the matter to Peking, but if a satisfactory reply does not soon come, then steps will be taken to prevent the junks from Joading salt. Responsible officers in the Navy have been borrowing money where they can, in order to supply the men under their command with the necessaries of life. The situation looks serious.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.