Chinese Merchants Petitioning Peking: A Burden that Is Ruining Them The Chinese press view of the adverse of cigarette tax on their business, the Shanghai Cigarette Merchants" Association has decided to circulate a letter, requesting cigarette merchants and agents in all parts of the country to ce-operate in devising Jo way to relieve themselves of this: [burdensome levy.
The letter states, in effect, that Jsince the imposition of the cigarette tax, troublesome formalities have to be observed and, as a result, the consumption of cigarettes has decreased by about 30 per cent. Repeated petitions for the abolition lof this tax have failed to move the authorities. "Therefore we send you 4 leaflet upon which please ask all [the merchants and dealers at your place to affix their chops and Which please return at your earliest convenience to the Shanghai Association, so that a direct petition submitted to the Central t for the cancellation of this special tax."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.