Tax increase in the number of inhabitants and the consequent accumulation of valable property' in the Babbling Well Road district have recently drawn attention to the desirability of its being included in the Municipal limits. We understand that the dwellers beyond the Defence Creek are pretty nearly unanimous, if not wholly so, in the desire to be brought within the pale of protection and -taxation, At present all the policing that is done for the road is, we understand, the few constables who regulate the carriage traffic. Bat it is obvious that the whole di should be as well protected as any other part of the Settlement. Houses have been built so rapidly, and there is auch a constant tendency among residents to migrate to the purer air of the country, that the question of Low the district is to be protected requires the attention of the Ratepayers, The high valuation of the property on the Bubbling Well Road by the Chamber of Commerce has since been considerably added to, and we should not be very greatly surprised if it were Aoubled within a very few years. But it is not only the money value of the houses to the West of the Defence Creek which makes it extremely desirable that there should be police regularly on duty on the Bubbling Well Road, and on the other branch roads where there are residents, but the fact that for groat portion of every day the only people in the houses are women, children, and the servants. At night also the insnfiicient system of lighting would enable enterprising thieves to carry on their operations under peonly advantageous circumstances, Nothing serious in the way of burglary has hitherto happened, bat the occarrence of such things can only be prevented by @. mounted patrol being on duty during the night.
This subject'has often be discussed privately, but we do not.think that it has ever been mooted officially. That is to say, we do not know that any of the Municipal Counoila have ever given it serious consideration. Possibly the best plan would be for the Council or 8 Committee from the body to consider the whole matter in conjunction with a Gommitteo of proprietors and residents in the outlying western districts. If that were done there should not be any @ifGoulty in arriving at an understand. ing as to the measures which the Manioipslity should adopt; and afterwards such measures could be taken as would seem most likely to obtain from Peking the necessary authority to extend the limits of the Settlement, as @efined in the Land Regulations which wore acttled by Captain Balfour. We take it for granted that some such Suthorization from the Ohinese Govern-mont- will be needful. It may be that all that is necessary can be done without troubling the officials, though we regard that as unlikely. But if it be imperative that the Chinese should assent to an increase in the limits of the Municipality, the recent visit of LO. Li Chung-tang, and the personal, if slight, acquaintance which he made with the locality, might be turned to account. Any representations from him to Peking on this subject would probably be favourably listened to, and we should think it would not be dificult to obtain his inflaence in support of a reasonable extension scheme. Sir Harry Parkes might also be communicated with on the subject during his stay here, and he would probably make himself well acquainted with all the circumstances that call for action in the matter. If he did so, he would be in a position to acquaint his colleagues at Peking with the desires of the commanity, and explain matters to such of those as were not acquainted with the localities of the Settlement. The present time seems therefore to be peculiarly favourable to a movement to include the Bubbling Well District in Shanghai proper. We, of course, write in the belief that it is the wish of our outside friends to be brought within the Municipality, avd we have been frequently assured that they are quite ready to bear their share of taxation. Indeed some of them have displayed an ardour to be taxed which appeared singular to those who have always enjoyed the periodical visits of the-Manicipal taxgatherers without experiencing any very pleasurable emotions from them. If there is unanimity on this it should be ensy for the residents outside the limits to come to an understanding with the Council as to what they want and the way in which their wishes should be mot. It lies with the dwellers in the Bubbling Well Road district to take action. The Municipal Council could not be expected to do so except at the instance of those who are chiefly interested in the protection of life and property out in the country, And it seems to us for reasons that we have already indicated, that, if the Babbling Well Roaders mean to do anything they should move at once. There is another reason why they should do so, besides taking advantage of the of Sir Harry Parkes, and that is that there will be a special meeting of Ratepayers convened before long, and the whole subject might very well be discussed at it.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.