One of the most important, if not absolutely the most important, subjects on the agenda of the Ratepayers' Meeting in March last was quietly shelved. We refer to the proposed establishment of " tuberoulosis hospital. scheme had been most carefully considered and was strongly advocated by Dr. Stanley, and had full support from the Council, but a single speech opposing it only indirectly sufficed to turn opinion against it, and the resolution embodying the proposal was defeated by a large majority.
This result was somewhat surprising to those who had interested themselves in the matter, and must have been disappointing to the few who were well informed on the subject and fully appreciated certain conditions of life in Shanghai which rendered such a proposal not merely advisable, but radically necessary. Whether it was that the subject was distasteful to the majority of those present at the meeting, or whether the scheme was generally regarded as an official "fad," a desire to be up-to-date regardless of expense, it was obvious that the subject aroused only perfunctory sort of interest.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.