Opium and Fantan Definitely Abolished Next Year wom Oun Own Comusronsext Canton, Oct. 9.
It had been settled that opium and fan-tan from next June shall frowned upon as vices that undermine public morals. And in taking that stand, an income from licensing must be foregone that will cut down the public revenue by $20,000,000 a year. How to make up this loss is the mooted question.
Either the business tax or the land tax should be stretched to cover this deficiency is the opinion of officials who are studying the problem.
Both these ideas have been abandoned as impracticable and the present Proposal is to readjust receipts and disbursements for the Party, the military and the civil Government 50 that tls $200,000,000 will be left over above all expenditures By economy, $600,000 monthly can be saved from the appropriations for a minimum of $900,000 a month. Whatever has to be made up then can be derived from the profits of the cement plant.
That these hopes can be realized is not wild guesswork, There has been retrenchment in both the Kuomintang and in the civil Government, During November a conclave of high military men are work out a scheme for running' the military establishment with eight-tenths of what ff costs now.
Fontan playing can. be eliminated fat one fell swoop. This is not true of opium smoking, which necessarily must be done away with by degrees. An outline is being prepared by the Provincial Government.
Centratlzation of government will be extended by withdrawing from district magistrates appointing the conclusion that too often accounts are a mess not because of fraud, but owing to lack of knowledge and experience of those whom the magistrates select as their ancial oticers.
Of these, 88 county treasurers are to be replaced. As fast as men can be trained in the Yintong school of political subjects in accounting and whatever else such officials should know. they will be named to succeed the incumbents, Last year in. the examination, about 20° showed a through knowledge of all that pertains to the administration of seal. affairs These few will be confirmed in their Cinema Position in Cant Cinema magnates fore gathered last Saturday, reviewed their grievances against the distributors of foreign Alms, and voted to renew the agitation to bring them to terms. Stupendous osses these two months because American pictures have been unprocurable are responsible for extraordinary measures to secure them Again.
Mayor Liu Chi-min is to see Mr. Fletcher, U.S, Consul-General, He the same stand that the distributors. ing and that they br agreements, and therefore they should that have con-
Good or ad, there Chinese pictures to go round, be "def. censors habitually refused ces to. show films of inferior duality, while others have been kept out of Canton houses as sal for otherwise objectionable. The exhibitors called upon the Municipality to be more lenient and to release for screening those of the first-class, being more lenient as regards quality. The Frommissioner of Social Affairs will consider whether the bars may not bbe let down somewhat.
Bank May Re-open Mr, Chen Shan-ming, Manager of the Banke of Canton, laid his proposal for putting the Canton branch on its feet before Mr. Chuo Fang-up, Treasurer, yesterday. "The proposals include that deposits up to $1,000 may bbe taken out on the day of reopening. Larger depositors will have to wait for cash, but will be issue certidates giving them a proportionate interest in the bank's realty holdings.
All told the Canton branch ig the possessor of real estate that is down the books as worth $4,000,000. "This will be marked down to $3,000:000 in preparing these certificates for dls-
Should'a depositor not care to accept a realty certificate, he might have the alternative of withdrawing 10. per cent. of his savings the first six months. If the bank's condition improves the terms of withdrawal might be made more favourable later.
'On the noble the 'Treasurer was much pleased with Mr. Chen's pro- they, two ying and three lin leaders. position. Probably it will be approved Last' Monday all indicated faced a without change, and once the Treas- fung squad.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.