The Japanese consular authorities have not been entirely sympathetic with the Formosans. They recently closed every gambling house in the province (all of which were naturally, exhibiting @ Japanese sign). One well known Japanese official declared that! 0 per cent. of the Formosans are criminals, and Japan would be only too glad to be rid of them all. The Japanese consular service is to be censured. however, for not making more thorough investigations into the applications for Formosan citizenship.
In one racket at least the Chiness have exceeded the Japanese. and under the sheltering wing of the Chinese police: that is prostitution. Tt! was recently stated in Shanghai that Amoy has G4 Japanese brothels containing 350 Formosan girls. Each girl pays a monthly tax of $0 to the Japanese consulate, which would be approximately $2,000 a month. All that is true, But the author of this statement had not heard that Amoy also has 1.200 Chinese prostitutes "and singsong girls, divided into four classes, and paying monthly taxes varying' from $4 to $14. This revenue totals $12,000 a month, which is nearly a third of Amoy's current budget. Tu 1924 when business conditions were better the prostitute tax produced 319,000 a mouth, and was then nearly, two-thirds of the city's income. In the circumstances we hardly dace whisper about a few Formosan competitors.
There are numerous other rackets fu Fukien, such as blackmail. kidnapping. bus robbery, salt-smuggling, all Said to be exclusively Formosan, but no doubt quite similar to the opium traie—a handful of Formosans lending protection to hundreds—of Chinese. All in all, the underworld Frost mim "Noari-Cuixa Darey News," or Avousr 30, 1876. of Fukien is not so foreign as we have been led to believe.
'Admiral Lambert was to leave Chefoo with the {wo frigates, the 'Narcissus and' Immortaitté, on' his way to Woosung. where' the Neweastle and 'Topuze are. now lying. 'The Flying 'Squadron will probably remain in' the wleinity of Shanghai for some time to zat the Bund, Chinese to raise the price of granite. The Council purpose delaying the work until they ave finished their. "rig. We ought to have the letter addressed the Council to the Consuls, in order to understand Mr, Meahurst's. reply Published with the Minutes. As. Stands, It does not seem to tell us very uch we did not know before, and Suggests a suspicion that the Council's ietier must have been rather pointless.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.