7 22th July, WHILE he mercury in the open air in a shaded situation is so puffed up that it is indisposed to go to below 90°, -nd shows a strong intention to reach the century, it seems cruel to ask our readers who find their brains sufficiently taxed by their ordinary business, to drop the cares of the present fora few minutes and think about the future of Shang. hai, There is a general.tendency to let well alone, and Bot to cross the bridge until we come to it; but on the other hand it must be remembered that Shanghai is what it is because our predeces ors were not content to be guided by these maxims of apathy and indifference, but did think about the future, and were not conten® with merely thinking, but transi ited their thoughts into action. The letter from Mr. W. V. Drum-mo d which appeared in vur columns on Saturday last, was a reminder 10 Shanghai thet the spirit that animated our predecessors should animate us, so that we may do for posterity what the men of the past dit for us, There is no reason, said Mr. Drammond, " why the residents here should not work diligently to promote the interests of Shanghai generally, and of themselves in particular, by all the means that lie within their reach." We do not agree with him as to the necessity for a Shanghai Pubic Association; the stimulation of public opinion is, we hold, done quite sufficiently by the Press and the Clubs which are so numerous in Shanghai. A Shanghai Public Association would soon degenerate into a debating society, at which the attendance would rapidly dwindle, and which would have no influence on public opinion or action, We entirely agree with Mr. Drummond that it would be a very good thing to secure some five hundred mow of geonnd for a public park in the western district, as well as the new park in the northern district. If Shanghai continues to grow as we expect it to do, both these parks will be wanted as lungs before long, and the sooner the land is secured the better; but this is not " matter of a few hundred or even a few thousand taels, as it was when the land in the interior of the race course was secured. Many demands have been made lately on the pockets of Shanghai, and, as we pointed out the other day, rich us Shanghai appears to be, a great part, in fact, the greater part, of the riches here belongs to the happy peuple who live on unearned increment at home, If Mr. Drnmmond could persuade them to combine to present Shanghai wi h a park of five hundred mow in the Western District, within about four miles from the Grand Stand, he would indeed be a public benefactor, and we would erect a column to him on the highest mound in the park with a commemorative tablet of imperishable bronze.
Mr, Drummond's other suggestions include the establishment of a satisfactory Mixed Court. The Consular Body and the Municipal Council are doing their best to get this anomalous tribunal into a more satisfactory shape by degrees. and we doubt if the efforts of a third voluntary body would not hinder more than they would help. The fate of the Reform Association which was started with such a flourish of trumpets and banging of drums by Charles Dicken
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.