Peking, Jan. 23.
Another New Year settlement day ly to be passed by the Chinese Government without paying more tuan a fraction of its obi The amount raised this year siily the lowest on record, though the JGoverfiment is deeper in debt than any of its predecessors." The Minister of Finance, Li SI reports that he has raised some three and half million dollars from various sources, principally from the Salt and Customs funds, First claimants, fof course, are the military, the local commands getting about 70 per cent. Jef a month's pay. The local police also benefit in this percentage, while the Navy receives a round $300,000. The teachers in the Government schools have been paid 60 per cent. lof their monthly salaries, and, last jen the list, civil servants, have had 40 per cent. doled out to them. All these people are very much in arrears in the payment of their pay or salaries, but a part of a month's: remuneration is all they can expect.
Remarking on the poverty of the new year's settlement of these he "North China Standar: ays:—"The Chinese Government, hich in former years still made frantic attempts to pay its employees jail that was due them on settling riy, has long given up the struggle hopeless. Only two or three years ago sums of 10 to 20 million Jdollars were regarded as absolutely necessary to settle accounts. To-day Government regards itself unate, having scraped together millions and half. ere there no Customs and Salt sorvices the Chinese Government would not have a miserly million to pay its officials with."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.