In the very able report issued by the Traffic Commission—and it is worthy of note that the Chairman and Vice-Chairman are both members of our Society—it is stated that until relatively few years ago the foreign population looked upon itself transitory, and there was a con-lent luck of foresight and: of pro-munity; this is indisputable, but 1 feel very strongly that members of our profession in Shanghai have Tooked ahead and that during the last 20 years the growth of Shanghai has not been handicapped by lack of engineering foresight.
Tt is, unfortunately, the habit these days to be somewhat mistic regarding the future of Shanghai, but we have weathered good many storms, and I have no doubt that we shall weather the present one and that, with? more settled conditions in China, Shanghai's past prosperity will. con! fand our fellow residents will real that it is not a bad place after all.
Gentlemen, some of you may not have had the opportunity of visiting Ameriea—and those who have not not know what professional has pitality means—but those who have done so cannot fail to have been impressed by the real pride in his Home town evinced by almost every citizen with whom he came in con tact. This pride does not stop at "his" roads and bridges but extends to buildings and works in which he has no direct interest, absence of this feeling of proprietorship in residents of Shanghai has done, I think, as much to prevent progress as any other fac-for, Three of the past Presidents of our society—from whom I am fortunate enough to receive letters from time to time—still retain a very keen interest and faith in the town where they spent the greater part of their working life, and their interest is by no means confined to their own particular branch. This Keenness in Shanghai is due to the fact that they were primarily working for others and for the future suees of the town.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.