Merchants and Tax Bureau in Dispute Though giving not as much trouble to China as the Yellow River, the Hai River has had many bad foods since Ils region was upset about the middle of the fourteenth century by the usurpation of the Yellow River from Tsingklangpo downward to the ea.
The dispute over the collection of the business tax came to the fore in Wuhu on Tuesday, when all Chinese shops suspended business, according a Chinese message received here on March 17.
"the strike' was declared at bout 2 pam, when six merchants engaged in' the cotton' yarn trade were arrested by the police. The men were said to have been involved in serious squabble with tax bureau officials and were subsequently detained by the authorities, Tmmediately after the "suspension of business, the Wuhu Chamber of Commerce called an emergency meeting of representatives of various trades. The meeting sent telegrams to the Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Finance and the Finance Depart~ ment of the Anhwei Provincial Government, protesting against the alleged high-handed measures taken the district tax ofeials, Delegates were also appointed by the Chamber to petition Mr. Yang Mel-chun, chid of the Finance Department, who happened to visit Wahu that afternoon. Despite lengthy negotiations, the dispute was deadlocked.
Commercial circles in Wuhu were known to have boon strongly apposed to the tox on the ground of trade depression. The agitation grew ently when different groups were appointed by the bureau to examine the account books of every shop In Wahu, While engaged in the investigation of boc: ts Kept by a hong doing col fon yarn business, the oMeials come Into'a serious dispute with the mer~ chants who were later arrested by the police, When shops closed their doors, police patrol parties were doubled to maintain peace and order. These were assisted by details sent out by the military authorities, The situntion remained peaceful, however.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.