To the Editor of the Nonra-Caixa Darty News, Sir,—I have been hoping to see in the public Press ere this, and by a more competent hand than mine, sume espousal of the cause of the Taxpayer, but awe ure now within one day of our annual necting of Ratepayers, I venture to bring before their notice some thoughts that come into the mind, upon reviewing our city affairs for some years past.
Two errors have dominated the actions of the Municipal Council ever since my residence 1n China began (eighteen years they' dred to spend annually, over and 0), first, the wish to see how much money above our annual revenue, and second, to discover just how much, and how unfair a taxation the community will stand without a strike, Against these two charges I maintain the true theory of all government for the people to be, to tax as lightly as you can and always fairly, and secondly to spend as sparingly as is consistent with good pay to public servants, and general good management of public affairs.
I do not propose to go into a. discussion of the Municipal questions of the hour in a brief letter to the morning paper, but I do sincerely hope that our big list of resident voters will be fully represented at the meeting to-morrow, and prepared to vote a stop to these annual budgets, which constantly call for nearly a half million taels more than our revenue can supply. penditure and mismanagement now, the If we cannot check this extravagant exis not far off when Shanghai will in one more today compare favourably with the great cities in other countries, Warp Hart. 8th March, To the Editor of the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.