Who's Who in China (3rd edition)/Li Szu-hao

Mr. Li Shih-hou

李思浩字鄉 侯

(Li Szu-bao)

Mr. Li Shih-hou, was born at Ningpo in 1880. In his youth he was well known, throughout his native Province of Chekiang, for his literary attainments and high scholarship. Being successful in the government examinations, he obtained the literary degree of Chu Jen or M. A. when he was only twenty-two years old. In 1905 Mr. Li went to Peking. Soon after his arrival in the capital he was appointed a second class Junior Secretary of the Board of Revenues. In 1908 he was made a member of the Department of Taxation and concurrently held the post of the Resident Director of the Statistical Bureau of the Board of Finance which was previously called the Board of Revenues. At the end of 1908, Mr. Li was promoted to be a Second Class Member of the Department of Taxation. In the summer of the following year he was appointed to the post of the Assistant Director-General of the Statistical Bureau. At the end of 1909 he received an additional post as the First Class Deputy of the Direcotrate-General of the Salt Administration. In 1910 Mr. Li became the Chief of the Department of Taxation. In 1911 Mr. Li received the concurrent post of the Chief Auditor of the Financial Re-organization Bureau. After the establishment of the Republic in 1912, Mr. Li was appointed Junior Secretary of the Ministry of Finance; in January 1913, a member of the National Taxation Preparation Bureau; and in September, Chief of the Salt Department of the same Bureau. In January 1914, Mr. Li was awarded the Fourth Class Chia Ho Decoration. In the same year he was recommended by the then Minister of Finance to the post of the Sectional Chief of the Salt Administration. The following year he was given the rank of Chung Ta Fu and also the Third Class Chiaho Decoration. In April 1916, a President Rescript was issued ordering that his name be recorded in the Cabinet, then known as Cheng Shih Tang, under the rank of Salt Transportation Commissioner. In May 1916 he received the appointment nominally as Acting Vice-Minister of Finance and substantially as Chief of the Salt Administration and also Chief Chinese Inspector of the Salt Gabelle. Later he was given the Second Class Tashou Chia Ho Decoration. In April 1917 a Presidential Mandate was issued appointing him to take charge of the Ministry of Finance. In June he was concurrently appointed the Director-General of the Bank of China. In August of the same year he was made full Vice-Minister of Finance, holding the concurrent posts of the Chief of the Salt Administration and Chief Inspector of the Salt Gabelle. Two months later he was given the Second Class Wen Hu Decoration, the first military order ever awarded to Mr. Li. In November he was again ordered to take charge of the Ministry of Finance. Just about one year afterward, he was awarded the Second Class Tashou Paok'wan Chia Ho Decoration. In January 1919, he was relieved from the post of the Salt Administration; brut shortly afterwards he was again ordered to take charge of the Ministry of Finance. In June he was specially appointed Director-General of the Currency Reform Bureau; and in September, was ordered to be in charge of the Ministry of Finance. In October he became the recipient of the First Class Tashou Chia Ho Decoration. In December 1919, Mr. Li was appointed Minister of Finance and became Director-General of the Salt Administration at the same time. The other concurrent but responsible position which Mr. Li then held simultaneously was the Director-General of the Currency Reform Bureau to which post he was appointed only one week after he had been appointed the Minister of Finance. In July 1920 Mr. Li was relieved of all the positions which he had been hitherto holding. He was involved in the Chihli-Anfu war. He lived in the Legation Quarter for two years and was pardoned in 1923 by President Li Yuan-hung.