22nd March.
It is most disheartening for the Council and for all who take a genuine interest in the welfare and of the Settlements, that again yesterday afternoon it was proved impossible to induce a sufficient number of ratepayers to attend to make a quorum for a special meeting. Every year, as we have said, there are constant appeals in the local Press to the Council to make changes which cannot be made without amending or adding to the Land Regulations or Bye-Laws; these amendments or additions, however desirable, cannot be made except at a ial meeting, and year after year they are hung up because the ratepayers are too apathetic to attend in sufficient numbers. Notwithstanding this, the same old appeals will be made to the Council in the new Municipal year, though those who make them ought to know that rests with themselves and their fellow-residents to bring about the improvements they desire; that in this as in other matters, heaven helps those who help themselves, and if they are too indifferent to help themselves, their wants must go unsatisfied. -When the meetings were held at nine o'clock in the morning, the objection used to be made that a number of ratepayers could not get away from their work to attend; but the special meeting yesterday did not come on until six pin, that this excuse will not serve, It is most discouraging, and we can only hope that by the time another arrival of public spirit among ial meeting is called, there will the ratepayers of Shanghai,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.