Angered by the introduction new application form for the Foutine business of the, Chinese Maritime. Customs, a mab of over
members of native shipping -hongs {i000 excited Chineb, brokers "and January 6 threatened to} Atreck the Revenue Department, on The fist floor of the Shanghai Cus-{bme House in the course of a nowy demonstration, which" amy Sas guletened later by the rushing of an emergency riot squad of River Police to the sene.
With the demonstrators, shout tail, and milled about the con ors and offices on the first floor, th situation for a time assumed very dangerous aspect. The prompt arrival, however, of Superintendent William, C, Woodfield and Inspector R._E, Bridges with " squad of 12 uniformed Customs River Police and a detail of men in plain clothes, prevented any of the threats being Carried out and, generally, had i the dense gather
lipped away" (0. demonstrators any possible reprisals but sak © groups and hundred of the brokers
Temained until long after regular: Closing hours, discussing the situation, The trouble, which came to a head-on Jan. 5, has been brewing for some time past, owing to the ment, by the Minttry at Nanking of a different of docu "New. mut termed, ive Form for Imports, Exports and Re-Exports." The Chinese cus toms brokers claim that the form is too complicated, in comparison with the previous applications, and complain that they are subject, to 2 fine of 25 mandarins, or tael cents, for each error in the papers filed, once one initial mistake is correct ed, In addition, they aver that any Such errors make. their applica~ tions subject to refusal.
Mx. I. H, Lawford, Commissioner of Custonss, however, received no authorization from Nanking to eel the offending form, and the kers were advised that the Tegulations in. this regard must with. Although it, was out that the office of the Customs could not disregard the superior—instructions, order! angered the brokers, who comenced to argue the' matter with Customs officials, immediately after the offices were opened for the day.
With more and more brokers streaming in to attend to business after the holiday session, the arguments on the first floor' grew Increasingly heated and inclusive as the hours passed. By two o'clock in the afternoon over 1,000 brok. ers, their assistants, coolies and shipping men had assembled in the Revenue Department on the Bund, and the gathering gradually chat fed into a noisy demonstration. When the excited shouting of the demonstrators became audible on the Bund below and with the threats inereasing in violence, a call for aid was dispatched to the Pootung Hulk of the River Police, Superintendent Woodfield, who received the summons, quickly assembled the. squad and, placing. Inspector Bridges in. command, sped across the river with lis met in a special launch to the Customs Jetty, According to
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.