23 FEBRUARY 1929, Page 2

The recent announcement by the Nanking Government that the revenue

was in future to be solely the affair of the Ministry of Finance has already been challenged. The Peking correspondent of the Times says that the Wuhan Provincial Council has set up a special office to supervise the collection of the revenue in Hupeh and Hunan—an ominous move. It looks as though the issue whether the central Government can keep entire control of the revenue or whether local' rulers will contrive to take toll of it must now be fought out. The question is especially important as the whole disbandment scheme for the armies was made dependent upon the central control of finance. * * * *