4th June, Tue Minutes published in this issue of Inst week's meeting of the Municipal Council are unusually interesting and deserve more than the perfunctory attention which is, we fear, generally paid to the officially edited records of our hard-working governing body. The average citizen can be brought to show any concern in public nffuirs only when he has some special grumble of his own to make, and especially is this so where, for reasons of policy, which are no' doubt con-vineing and which we have at all events no intention to controvert at the present time, the achievements of the Council are proclaimed in a few plain lines, with no added attractiveness of individual arguments or reasons, causing the Minutes frequently to be regarded as consisting of belated and rather statistics, the value of which the dull correspondence, followed by
busy reader will almost certainly take on trust.
Every now and again, however, the calamus which appear with no additional headings or allurements to attract the unwary reader, will be found to repay a closer inspection, and this week's is one of the occasions. The Minutes lead off with interesting announcement in gard to the Public Band, which is, we learn, to be considerably of the different sections of the Penn players, who will act as lendora orchestra nnd perform as soloists, A new conductor is also to be obtained from Berlin, and although apparently implied that Mr, it is not expressly stated, it ix
nz, who has lendered good, service to the Band and to the cause of music generally in Shunghai for some years past, will not be returning here. The Band fills an important part in our Settlement life, not only by its public performances,. which are increasingly appreciated, as the population grows, by a large section who have not too many' of the amenities of life, but by its employment in the more important social functions, Tu one way and another ite members are kept closely at work mesh of the year, and, seeing the amount of ensure they give, there is a natural disposition not to criticise too harshly. Still, it must be admitted there is scope for a good deal of improvement, more particularly in the class of music played. The Band's present repertoire on paper is a large one, but there has been a tendency towards too much Belleof New York" and American two-steps. Selections from "Carmen" or " Maritana" make equally popular selections even for outdoor playing.
To pass on in our survey of the Minu' from two letters which fol it will be seen that progress ly being made towards the completion, draining, lighting and paving of the important—thoroughfare leading to the Rifle Range and to the new Hongkew Public Recreation Ground, a road which is already the main highway of a rapidly-growing tial neighbourhood, Within last few months the Council has been twice addressed by ascociated residents—in one case foreign, in the other Chinese—urging the necessity of carrying through thie road and providing for its lighting and policing. As it lies outside the boundary special arrangements were required, but as long ago as the 19th of April the Secretary was able to assure the that "as part of the policy rutated in connection with payment residents beyond Settlement limits of a special tax of 5 per cent on their rentals, a modified system of police patrol has been authorised and established." In thesame letter it was intimated that the remaining work in connection with the road was estimated to cost Tls. 34,200 and" the Council is prepared to carry out this work thoroughly and effectively if one-half of the above sum is contributed by the Innd-owners, residents, and others concerned." It is in pursuance of the policy there announced that the strengthened, not numerically but Council, has nowrapproached the by. ite intreduttion of eight Euro-' Agents of the Shanghai Land
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.