Whilst considerable latitude is exercised in "the acceptance of tokens, as may be seen from the above, there is one thing which is hardly ever accepted, namely revenue stamps which have hitherto only been used on bills and receipts issued by Chinese firms but which have been circulated extensively, particularly amongst the coolie class who require small amounts to pay for their meals and other necessities.
Amongst the trades hardest hit of all, in connection with the coin shortage are those Chinese women and children who ply the streets of the city with a pail of tea which they sell to rickshaw pullers and other coolies for one copper (à of a cent) per cup. They were reluctantly compelled to raise their prices to half-a-cent per cup as the smallest denomination in stamps is half-a-cent.
Where these traders hitherto used bags attached to their belts, in which they kept the "takings," they are now seen sitting along the pavements. with old cigarette tins in their bands in which stamps are carefully classified according to their value.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.