Free translation of leader in the Shénpao of the 24th February, 1891, (with some important omissions) and the French Settlements are defrayed The expenses of both the Anglo-American from fund which, though called by China-kuan), "the police tax," is ili devoted men in-common parlance $B I*IB (Sun-pu to many other objects besides the maintenance of 1 efficient police force. Making pairing roads and other important munierpal functions have all to be performed by means of the Sun-pu kuan.
Both Municipalities the French, and the Anglo-American, publish at the end of every year a pamphlet reporting the receipts Be, and expenditure during the year fur the information of the ratepayers who supply the funds out of which the Municipal expenses are defrayed.
1 comparing the British report with the French, one is struck by the difference of the views taken in the two Settlements of two things,—Sanitation, and Education, a8 objects on which the public money may be spent. On these two points the Municipal government of the British, or Anglo-'American Settlement, holds ideas widely at variance with those which are held by the administrators of the French, The French Municipal Council, recog-nissing the great importance of a constant supply of good water to the people living under its administration, pays the Waterworks Coupany a fixed sum every year for that purpose, and gives water to the people for nothing. Every man and child in the French Settlement can take "s much clean water to drink otto wash with as they need; but at the same tine the police keep a good watch to see that no one living outside of the French Settlement steals the water which is meant exclusively for the people inside of it, and they arrest any yemen whom they find carrying it away. in the British Settlement, on the other hand, with water laid down in all directions: with & profusion far surpassing that of the other Settlement, everybody who wants clean water,—i.e. everybudy,—must buy it himself from the Waterworks Company.
The French Municipal Council, recognise ing the necessity of education for the people living under its administration, has a FAH (Ta-hilch-t'any), " school in which they educate the children free of charge. Scholars have their own or their parents' choice whether they shall stady Western or Oriental subjects. Every year there is an examination; Chinese and foreign officials are invited to witness the results of are given to the mort deserving to encourage the scholars' progressing edu \d prizes all. The Taotai annually contributes to the inaiutensnce of this excellent institution, whose objects and working he greatly admires. The children are being equipped for their journey through life in whatever honourable walk they may select. They are receiving a training which will enable them to become goud law-obeying men, instead of being left to the education of the gutter, and put in the way to entering on the over-stucked profession of the thief. Even making allowance for the much larger population of the English settlement, the number of uncared-for children in it who are growing up roughs and thieves is dis-When these children grow up, many of proportionately greater than in the French.
them are likely to become habitual criminals, instead of useful members of society, to the great damage of the rest of the community both native and foreign.
Te is sometimes said. that owing to the much Jarger number of children in the English Settlement, it would not be enough to ftave one school like the French, but several schools would-be required, and that the Municipal funds are unequal to such a But if there are more children to there are also necessarily, more people who pay taxes; and it cannot but be possible to economise enough on some of the items of the large expenditure of the British Municipality, to supply sufficient Funds for such a purpose xs educating the children living in the Settlement, and training them up into being useful men and not pests of society. Expenditure on_ such objects pays a uianifuld return, before very many years, to these who are far-sighted enough to adopt it. About 1853-4, there was aman named P'an (7); commonly known as Siao Kin-chi ys ZAR), "Lttle Golden Twig," forms a striking exempliGcatio: results of neglect of training in youth.
ning life as a wandering street Arab, living on his wits, he afterwards was employed us a runner by the Shanghai District Magistrate Yuan, whose goodness he repaid by murdering him, and placing himself at the head of a horde of banditti who held the city for mouths under a reign of terror, When the Emperor's troops retook the city, he met with the penalty of his crimes. His name is still remembered.
melancholy to think that there are many neglected urchins in the English Settlement who bid fair to be, in ten years wore, moulded into Siao Ki any crime for which opportunity offers.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.