Tax on Vice

The Canton Municipality, it was alleged, paid during the past eight months $25,800,000 for the maintenance of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen's army of 180,000 men.

To help provide for this expenditure, taxes on vice--opium-smoking, gambling, etc.--are levied to the extent of $17,200 a day. Raising huge sums by loan came to an end when Cantonese merchants declined to take up a New Year loan.