The demand that is at length forthcoming from all manner of Chinese organizations for the improvement of the Soochow Creek, is gratifying, if somewhat belated. The Rice Guild is the latest body to approach the authorities, and no other section of the community can have a better knowledge of the harm being wrought by the present state of affairs. In the past, we believe, a particularly bad jam of boats has been responsible for a distinct rise in the price or Tice, and what has happened once is only teo likely to be repeated again, and with the steady, deterioration of this particular waterway matters will become worse and worse. Now that petitions are flying about calling for steps for the betterment of the Creek, it should surely be possible to get some combined pressure te bear which will cause matters to move speedily. The work of dredge ing, however, is not the only thing which requires attention, and with the demand for it there should be an equal insistence on adequate policing. We have already pointed out the amount of work which a force such as the Harbour Police of Hongkong have to do to keep things running smoothly there, and if there is one place more than an. other where equal measures are required it is the Soochow Creek.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.