Ch'eng Fung-tsao, commander of the allied train bands of 26 villages sends the following petition to the National Government. "Undisciplined troops are oppressing the' people and I appeal to the Govern ment to issue an edict commanding} their suppression in order to give {relief to the people who are as though suspended head downwards in a precarious misfortune of the people of Fouling that the district has been twice held by the undisciplined army of Kwoh Sung-yun who imposes exorbitant] evils and numerous taxes at his own pleasure, Last year he col-ceted a tax on tobacco amounting: to five or six hundred—thousand dollars that all went into his private purse; not one cent was used for the troops. It is also common report that his subordinate officers demand rations from the people, seize their women' and carry off old and young for ransom. There! is not a day but some fresh exaction is imposed. During this year the tax on Iand has ben collected five times, so that, at least, a million dollars has been secured. The tax on grain was exacted eight times! and brought in about six millions) and now fifty dollars is collected it grain tax where formerly one dollar was taken. In successive years the people have suffered from the! bandits sind from the soldiers until life is not worth living; where can they get money to pay these exortant taxes? But Kwoh's methods of getting money are unbelievable. There is a monthly tax, a tobacco tax, a ferry tax, a house tax, a pol red lamp tax; ' the different taxes fare more than can be counted. It} even come to pass that there is tax on night soil so that the!
farmers no longer come to the city Chefoo, Sept. 24.
'The urgent representations made by the Chinese and foreign' mer chants in regard to the new levies in the form of a revised Goods Tax, have been partly successful, so much that a representative of the Tsinanfe authorities has come to Chefoo to.go into the whole question, with' the result certain articles of export that have hitherto enjoyed freedom from Customs' Jdues, but which were subject to the Goods Tax, are now being passed free of tax.
The Chinese Chamber of Commerce, however, is continuing to prevent the removal of any cargo, either inwards or outwards, owing. to the increase in tax on many articles which vitally affect Chinese ugliness and the cost of living in the interior. As a consequence the Customs' stds are full to overflowing, with little prospect—for a few days, at any rate—of any provement. The question of interior transit is still unsettled, and the regulations at present call for payment of the tax at each and every branch of the Tax Office established fat intervals in the hinterland Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.