Who's Who in China (3rd edition)/Chu Yu-chi

Mr. Chu Yu-chi

朱有濟字作舟

Mr. Chu Yu-chi was born at Paoshan Hsien, Kiangsu, in 1886. His father, the late Chu Chih-chao, assisted Li Hung-chang in founding the China Merchants Navigation Company, in establishing telegraphic communication between China and Korea, and in opening the Kaiping and Pingchuan Mines. The initiation of the building of the Shanghai-Woosung Railway was also his. When his father was in the North as the Yung Ting Ho Taotai and Director General of the North China Telegraph Administration, Mr. Chu was with him serving as private secretary. In 1906 Mr. Chu joined the secretariat of General Chiang Kuei-ti who was then the Commander-in-Chief of the I Chun Troops. At the outbreak of the First Revolution in 1911, Mr. Chu was in Taiyuan Fu, Shensi where he was visiting a relative who was the magistrate, where they were besieged by iting a relative who was the magistrate, where they were besieged by bandits. Mr. Chu happened to be inside that city, volunteered his services to organize a volunteer corps for the defence of the city and finally saved the city. In 1914, Mr. Chu became Chief of the Kuan Kang Salt Transportation Office in Shantung. During 1915-16 he was Director of the Chuang Ho Salt Taxation Bureau, in Fengtien Province. In 1917 Mr. Chu was appointed Director of the Provincial Stamp Tax Bureau of Kirin. While in that province, he started several large lumber producing companies with joint Sino-Japanese capitals at work in the forests of that province. Among these may be mentioned the Hailing and the Ching-yun. In 1926 Mr. Chu was transferred to the Ministry of Finance in Peking where he served in different capacities. In 1921 he was given a concurrent position in the Ministry of War. In September 1923 Mr. Chu was appointed Director of the Shanghai Mint which position he is still holding. Following this appointment he served twice as Chief of the General Affairs Department of the Ministry of Finance during the period when the Cabinet was performing the functions of the President.