Opposi ion to Plans of Inspector: Feared Ruination of the City From Our Ow:
Yangchow, Oct. 20.
The strike is off, but the trouble ig not over! It started a year or 20 ago, reached one climax When several "hundred protesting _boatmen who had gone in' boats towards Nanking (as reported in this. paper a few months ago) to protest against the closing of. Shinerwei on the Yangtze the mouth of the Grand Canal, were turned back by Chinese gunboats. Another crisis same last Wednesday when a general trike was declared in Yangchow as Protest against the transfer of the headquarters of seven salt companies from Yangchow to Panpu. The occasion was the Visit of. the transport and complete restoration jot the old system. About 100 representatives proceeded via Chin-Kiang to Yangchow.
On Tuesday evening, while Mr. Mino was at dinner, some 30 odd deputies representing the Yangchow Chamber "of Commerce, the local Igentry, and others, gathered at the gate and sent in their cards, asking [for an interview with Mr. Miao. The visitors were informed that" Br.
[Miao would receive them the next morning, and. they departed. After dinner the Chief of the Salt Revenue Guards appointed ten soldiers to es~ cart Mr, Mise back to the Salt Huaipei (North of the Hua River) District Inspector and concurrently Liang Huai (Northern and Southern 'Huai. Districts) Salt' Commissioner, Mr. Miao Chin-chieh, to Yangchow with a view to instituting the earry-Ing out of certain plans proposed by him and certain others.
There were no serious disturbances during the day of the strike, Launches and other boats did not eave; the bus service was partially curtailed; the larger stores on, the important streets halt closed their doors; there were processions _of students, but of only a minority; de~ Tegations were sent and received and the usual posters "and pamphlets were put up and distributed. But in spite "of the slightness. of outward manifestations, the disturbance has {is roots in matters vitally affecting not only the livelihood of many, but even the prosperity of the whole city. Wise counsels and mutual for~
The following day there was a strike, a8 reported above. In view fof the agitation against him, the nunciations of his "arbitrary" inten tions which were said to "aim at the destruction. of the prosperity of Yangchow," and the announcements that the people of Yangchow would fight the issue to the bitter end, Mr. Miao prepared to leave the city fat once, but decided to call before Teaving on General Wang Pai-ling, a native. of Yangchow and member of the Central Executive Committee. General Wang offered himself as a mediator. It was agreed that a conference should be held to discuss the various problems and that the matter should then be referred to the Ministry of Finance for a final decision. This settled, General Wang invited Mr. Miao on a sight-seeing trip to the Twin-hill Temple and thereafter to dinner.
Protest Demonstration, Meanwhile other forces had been busy in organizing a protest demonstration through. the streets JAbout 1230 pin, several hundred Jschool children, boys and girls, came marching to the Salt Yamen with music and banners, shouting: "Down with Mr. Miao!" Mr. Miao received them Jand gave them a long talking to. The [demonstrators dispersed quietly and fin a cheerful mood.
Although the matters in dispute Jare under consideration by the a thorities at Nanking, itis likely tha there will be further trouble if the decision 1s reached to put the plans for reorganization into effect. Much opposition was stirred up and the Husipet District Inspector was appointed to act concurrently as Salt Commissioner. for Liang Huai _instead of the Yangchow Chinese District Inspector who then became merely deputy commissioner. Further opposition arose when the Revenue Service sent out an order for an auditing of this salt merchants' that Yangchow has bene-ited greatly by the generosity of the {salt companies who have voluntarily contributed largely to the support of schools, hospitals, and various city organizations' in addition to. paying the regular taxes to the Salt Revenue Service and other government organs. 1 is also true that Yang-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.