At was also reported yesterday that the Chinese residents north of the Soochow Creek wore against the proposed increase of taxes and licence fees. Basing" their protest on the grounds that the Shanghai Munfeipat Council was not providing adequate police protection in the area, now tinder Japanese control, the reports said that the Chinese residents were forming a body {o battle against the increase, It may be recalled here that the Chinese policemen of the SM.C. are forbidden to carry firearms when on duly in the area: this being one of the agreements insisted upon by the Japanese authori les when they permitted the entry fof Chinese constables into the area north of the Soochow Creek.
"The first Special Meeting of Ratepayers, held at the Race Club last Thursday. was proceeding smoothly to the time when Mr. Keswick read his reply to Mr, Hayashi's proposed amendment. which was followed by Mr. Schecl's request to the rate~ payers to vote by raising their hands. When the result showed that Mr. Hayasht's proposal had been rejected, was met with loud protests on the part of Japanese ratepayers.
"Tt was at that time that Mr. Hayashi was seen to mount the platform and speak a few words to Mr. Tkeda-Before anyone knew what was happening, the chairman of the 'Japanese Ratepayers' Association had Tax, 'This opposition, according Japanese source' yesterday, was clearly expressed by Mr, Y. Hayashi, Chairman of the Federation, who threw the meeting of January 23 Into an uproar when he fired three shots, wounding Mr. W, J, Keswick, Chair: man of the Council,'a Japanese coun-oiller and a Japanese employee of the Council. The Federation yesterday submitted its resolution to. the standing committee of the Japanese Ratepayers Association assembled an extraordinary meeting at the Japanese Club, At the meeting held yesterday the standing committee of the Japanese Ratepayers Association here elected an acting president, Tt was learned that a general meeting of Japanese Ratepayers will be held soon to obtain 2 uniformity of opinion on the Jay ese attitude to be adopted when Falepayers of the Settlement reassemble next Wednesday at the Race Course {0 decide the fate of the Council's Resolution No, 11 calling for a 40 per cent, surcharge on Land Tax, Municipal and Special Rates and a general increase in Veence fees. The attendance of one third of all eligible voters is imperative to form a quorum at the special meeting of ratepayers, it is understood, Japanese: votes' are estimated {o total slightly tess than half of the total votes,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.