MISCELLANEOUS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 7440, 10 August 1895, Page 6 (Supplement)

MISCELLANEOUS.

HOW CHINA RAISES THE

WIND,

The Canton correspondent of the Daily News describes some of the subterfuges resorted to by China for raising money. He writes : —

Money is being obtained from the people by the sale of what are called _ Patriotic Bonds.' The foreign Customs "service' has'the management of these bonds, but does not make itself responsible for their validity. The amount thus raised is augmented by other sums obtained by force. A wealthy young Chinaman m a neighboring town has been recently adding some costly improvements to his residence, and taking this as an indication of ample resources, the Government has demanded from him 10,000 dol. towards the war fund. The man is reluctant to disgorge, partly because of unwillingness to give up the money, and partly because he knows ihat some of it would be abstracted by every official through whose hands it passed, and that only a moiety would reach its destination. The Government has now placed a band of soldiers on the grounds of this recalcitrant plutocrat, and he is virtually a prisoner in his own house. In raising men the Government adopts a policy equally irritating and unjust. Playing at soldiers is a recognised source of temporary income here in China. On review days it is a common thing for the officials to hire thousands of the riff-raff of the city to complete the strength of the various regiments. These hirelings have nothing to do but wear a uniform and carry a musket, and when the review is over they receive their pay and return to their old haunts. In some of the populous towns of the interior the Government has secured tens of thousands of men by offering pay of eight dollars per month—about twice the average wage of a skilled artisan—for playing at soldiers in the rear of the Bogue forts. These men were placed upon transports and taken, not to the fields at the back of the Bogue forts, but direct to the seat of war, and the pay they received was less than a fourth of the amount promised.

' I have always wondered,' said the newly-arrived missionary to the genial cannibal, ' what became of my predecessor ?' ' Oh,' replied the cannibal, ' he has gone into the interior.'

Schoolmate : Why do you never touch your piano ? Miss Thumber : We're buying in on usual instalments. ' What difference does that make ?' ' I'm afraid if paw should hear me playing he'd stop playing.'

' Harry,' she said thoughtfully. ' What is it ?' responded the worried business man rather shortly. ' I wish you could rearrange your business a little bit.' ' How 7' 'So as to be a bear on the Stock Exchange instead of at home.'

' What are you writing, Hawley ?' ' A story. I'm going in for auction.' ' Really ? For a magazine ?' ' No ; for my tailor. He wants hia money, and I'm telling him I'll send him a cheque next week.'

' Will you be mine, Ada, dear ?' ' This is so sudden, Edwin ! You must give me a little time.' ' How much, dearest V ' Just until I can call mamma in to witness your proposal. She is waiting in the next room.'