A report has recently been made to the SMC, Watch Committee in regard to racketeering in cargo handling charges on Bund pontoons controlled by the Municipal Council. The actual position and the action which has keen taken is as follows:
On October 29 the General Chamber of Commerce wrote to the Council enclosing a letter from one of the national. Chambers of Commerce which drew attention to the unsatisfactory conditions that, since the outbreak of hostilities, had developed in the matter of Coolie "hire on landing of goods at The Bund jetties.
The investigation into the matter asked for by the General Chamber of Commerce showed that the Police had been fully aware of the racket since it first made its appearance in September, Certain loafers had formed themselves into a gang which extorted "protection" money from merchants engaged in unloading cargo. If this money was not forthcoming, the coolies employed by the merchant were intimidated and his goods damaged. The gang also placed a levy of one cent upon each piece of cargo transported across the jetties.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.