To the Editor of the "Norta-Comma Daicy News.
Sin,—May I request the favour of your columns for requesting something be done for Shanghai's foreign populace!—those wh: are affected through the War!
It is but a necessary sequence to suspension or decline of trade, that firms will and must reduce their working expenses, and the staff gen erally receive the requisite att tion, which in the present crisis partakes of reduction of pay and also dismissal, even if reluctant.
Our local hongs do not all have the same commercial and financial status as Jardine' Butterfield' and others that one might mention, who, I presume, if hard pressed, would first dispense with the lowest ratings and then, perhaps, reduce the salaries of the higher, pro tem.... These big hongs are in a great minority numerically, and their employees are, generally I will allow hongs do not hastily dismiss their employees, but they are perfectly justified in taking this step in the present ori With many, this has been fait accompli.
'A business man quite recently told me he absolutely had to dis pense with his typist: he had to think many a time before deciding on this move, hoping by excogitating he would pounce on some plan of reduction elsewhere to enable continuance of her services, as, to use his own phraseology "she was my very left hand." He couldn't sk putting her on half pay—small s that was. This is but one instance; are there any others, and how many! If they have relatives (and it's to be sincerely hoped 80) well and good, but if nott....!1 1
There are also married men with families out of employment, and simply on account of the War.
It may be argued that everybody ought to Iny aside "something fora rainy day," but this is all very well theoretielly! Since the first Revolution, salaries have had " big drop, and there is many a foreigner who, before enjoying a comfortable income, has had to pt a comparative pittance sufficient for "hond: to mouth" existence in the endeavour to maintain passing respectability, internally and externally.
On the hypothesis of some few having saved something, it is not to be presumed that that "something" will tide them over very long. Thereafter what are they going to dot They are now pari pass with those who through circumstances were unable to save the proverbial penny, and in this predicament how are they to bear the concomitant of the approaching winter?
It is hardly fair to promis" they must have friends so circumstanced as to afford resources not already taxed—perhaps over-taxed: besides it isn't "playing the game" to encoach on this expedient in a er as that prevailing. The friends may themselves ever ly rank with the "unemployed"—more than one taipan having told me his opinion being that further staff clearances were inevitable.
Failing friendship, it may be suggested by some, money is the next expedient, but this I consider mere waste. At the very best such relief can be only temporary, supply and demand not being likely to be proportionate to relieve all worthy gir
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.