SHANGHAI, To the Editor of the "Norru-Cuina Dairy News."
Sre,—In your recent editorial on "The Council Elections" it is inti-sated plainly, yet suavely and delicately, that' the ratepayers of Shanghai do not take much interest in the doings of the Municipal Council and that few competent men are willing to serve on that august body. To bs quite frank, we must confess that in Shanghai there is very little public spirit of am kind, For instance, I was mud interested in the appeal made a short time ago in the "N.-C. Daily News" that' the Shanghai war memorial should take the form of a Memorial Public School for the benefit of British children in China, and I talked to friends and acquaintances hoping to get them interested in the scheme also, One and all assured me that it would not be favourably considered for one moment by those in power; that apart from trade and sport there was not sufficient interest in local enterprises to animate the soul of a Dogberry. I refused to believe this, but when the memorial committee recommended the - erection of a commercial museum (the money for it to be obtained mainly from the Chinese), as a memorial of the brave men who died for England in the great war and as an inspiration to the living, then my faith collapsed and I could say 16 more.
To dwell on miserable exhibitions of this kind, however, does no good. Far better is it to inquire it is that so little interest is taken in municipal affairs. As a ratepayer, poot and uninfluential, but possibly of average intelligence, may I say a few words on this subject?
A Lack or Inrormatioy.
1.—The ratepayers know little or rething of the official doings of the Councillors. Let me present a_ specimen of the information vouchsafed to the public, taken from the last issue of the Municipal Gazette.
At the meeting of the Council held Ved: wy, February 4, 1920, at 4.30
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.