Interference with Old-Time Graft Brings Trouble: New System of Tax Collectors Froxe Oon Own Hoshien, July 12.
We have been having rather exciting times in this city for some days, Asa. result of trouble between the soldiers from the provin-lal capital and the local guard of this city, 100 of the former were: Sixty of these 100 given $5 picket money and against "their will packed into Boats and sent off home as rival citizens. The other 40 were put gaol awaiting trial and possible punishment, The incident that caused the trouble was a mere opportunity for the soldiers to attack the local guard. One of the soldiers went out on the street with unbuttoned coat and smoking something white—either a cigarette or something worse, Local Guard in charge at the place requested him to button his coat. and to stop smoking on the streets as that was prohibited. "Who are you to question me?", and so the row began. The soldier' called in his men and the guard whistled for his and they had it hot and heavy. As the local guard was getting the worse of it, they fled to the magis~ trate's yamen for protection, under their captain, The soldiers did not respect the precincts of that sacred place but followed up to give the Captain what they thought he deserved. This was the culmination of the fray and I understand constitutes mutiny. Anyway they have been: punished.
The Real Cai 'The real cause of the trouble ts an outstanding grievance. Under the previous regime, the soldiers from the outside had been doing just they chose and indulged in every' sort of vice. 'They also made a good job of selling opium. When Mr. Liu' came, he let them all knew that they were'to come under th just as the other citizens and if they broke th Jaw, the local guards would ap:
ynd' them and hand them over freebooters thought infringement on their prer and became bitter and mo! bitter under the restraint, until finally this opportunity for getting even with the Guard presented itself.
The situation being very serious, the magistrate did not act alone but quietly informed General Tsai Anking of the situation. The gen: feral came down yesterday and brought, 50 of his own troops along and to-day there was martial law in the city. "No one was permitted to go out on certain streets. When the ban was lifted we found that most of the old outside troops had been Femoved and these new men from Anking plus small detachments from the smaller towns of this hsien had taken their pla Another incident was the collection of somewhere around 1,000 persons around the yamen, men, women ind children protesting against me abolition of the position of recorder. It has leaked out that a proclamation being prepared abolishing that of-fee, As stated in a previous article there has been no recorder's office in this hsien, but from time immemor-Jai the changes in ownership of property had been Kept track of by 900 odd individuals called recorders. This, left the door open for all sorts of graft. "It the seller did not pay up, no record of the sale would be given to the tax collector of that precinct, and he would be registered as owner and subject to fine it he did not pay the tax. The new mayor has brought of these records into his own of-and all transfers of property: mirist be made through his yamen hereafter, A small fee of not more than one-tenth of one per cent. will be charged. But the people are warned that if the money is paid to the old recorders the receipts thus secured will not be valid at the ya~
Could be given them; but how could bunch of opium-smokers and idlers make a living on land?
Tt is another case like what the Manchus imposed on their own people when they granted them pensions {for life, which compelled them to live in idleness and sink into the Lowest state of immorality. These grafting pensioners are a little better than the Manchus inasmuch as they had to use their brains to compel their victims to pay their extort tions. This will also make them a more dificult class to handle than the Manchus—were. What is _to become of them still remains a ques jon.
Tax Collectors Abolished It is likely that what brought on the demonstration of the families of the recorders is the fact that the old office of hereditary tax collector has already been abolished. This happened about a fortnight ago when the 100 odd tax collectors were noti-Ged that an examination for tax collector would be given on a certain date, Tt was explained to them that order to make the selection of 40 men bring as little suffering as possible among the ranks of the here-diary tax collecting families, only embers of these hereditary families would be admitted to the examination on this first sifting. Why 40 was taken as the number needed is this: sections into which the divided. Each office needs five as staff. But at peak time of tax collecting more men will be needed. So twenty other part-time-helpers will be needed. When the examinations came off, some did not present themselves as'they knew they were unfit. After the 60 were selected, the other 60 odd left out in the cold were simply informed that they were dismissed. Here again a hardship has been imposed, for only a couple of days ago {wo young men came with a petition the magistrate for help to bury their father who had been one of th unsuccessful candidates for tax collector. A small grant of $20 was made. Every reform brings its prolems.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.