During the past fortnight the Chinese newspapers have given full prominence to hints of a proposal for the licensing of bicycles within the Settlement, and without excep-n the suggested license has been opposed. Naturally, Chinese interested in the trade, which has of late grown to considerable dimensions, have been loud in their protests, declaring that stich a tax is unheard of in other countries, the bicycle being something of a necessity to the poor man and being, 39 far as trafic is concerned, a harmless vehicle giving the authorities no trouble at all. There is sure to be further noise, to which the dealers will be chief contributors, when it becomes known that the Council proposes to establish the tax. As will be seen from this week's Muncipal Gazette, the French Council already decided in principle upon the licensing of bicycles, and the Municipal Council has come to a similar decision from the point of view of traffic control. The proposal cannot come into effect until it has been approved at the annual meeting of ratepayers, so. the Chinese immediately concerned will have plenty of time in which to get accustomed to the idea, That the recommendation will be adopted goes without saying, for the manner in which most Chinese use these machines, especially when groups of them go joy-riding after office hours, distinctly adds to an already complicated traffic problem. Owing to its comparative cheapness, the bicycle is bound to come into greater popularity, and the need for} such a check on its proper use as a small licence fee will ensure will become greater as time goes on. The fee will be small, of course, and there is no occasion for dealers to get alarmed at the prospect of any possible injury to the trade. There can be none. attendant upon of the burgling. fraternity in the French Conee:- sion give one to wonder whether the police force of that Concession need of augmentation. On Tuesday we published an account of a burglary that took place about 300 yards from the French Central Police Station in which it was stated that the police, although notified of the occurrence at 2 a.m. and of the fact that the burglars had just left and could not be far away, failed to send a represents tive till 6.30, although a request had been made that one be sent at once. That statement has not bees denied, so we feel justified in assuming its correctness. In another ease, which happened a few week ago, a lady living quite close to a French police station telephoned for fan officer to be sent at once to trest a thieving, bullying coolie, who was in her garden and who showed no great inclination to leave. 'A Chinese detective arrived 45 minutes after the request had been made; and the coolie had gon. While most residents of the Concession realize and appreciate that the police authorities have no easy tusk in maintaining law and order in the large area under their control, it certainly would appear, from the cases we have quoted, that the force is not as full as the requirements of the concession de alternative explanation is that the! currence of a burglary or the need of an immediate arrest are' not considered incidents such as to justify, speedy police action or the'departure from a routine more concerned with the convenience of the police than the rights of householders. That explanation no one would wish to accept. While on this subject, we may be pardoned for referring to another matter, not wholly irrelevant. It is very much the exception, rather than the rule, for any official fon night duty at a French police station to understand English. Admitting that the Concession is French, it cannot be denied that the language most commonly—spoken in it (apart from Chinese) is the various varieties of English, and it conceivably may occur that a householder who speaks English but Tittle French, and who is urgently need of police assistance, may. be debarred from that assistance owing. to the police officer on duty speaking French but little or no English. What we may feel is that the French Concession is now very] big and if the police are not enough for all its dutes their numbers should be increased,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.