Sir,—Confirming my conversation with you I now submit as a settlement of the opium shop licence question the following from January, reduce the 3 licences issued' by 50 per month will the end of March next..
2.—That the Council, shall introduce into the Ratepayers' Meeting in March text" Resolution providing for the con, tinued reduction of opium licences by 50 per month till December, 1915, at the close Of which month all licences shall cease, and further that_ month by month till December 31, 1915, the licence fee shall be increased to such figure as in the opinion of the Council may be deemed expedient.
If the Council will introduce a resolation to this effect I shall have pleasure in supporting it.
Asa merchant in Shanghai T urge upon the Council that the prolongation of licences to the period originally contemplated by the Council is againat our best Interests as a trading community.
T think it will be " most unfortunate record for the Shanghai foreign community to go down to history as being the last important city of the Republic to fall in line with this great national reform it would be a graceful act and one ly in harmony with the fitness of things to show sympathy with this great national reform movement.
There can no longer be any question ax to the sincerity and earnestness of the Government and people to carry this policy through to complete success.
T venture further to suggest that if under similar circumstances, a foreign community were living ina great Russian town, we should not find it expedient to adopt an attitude of resistance to the Government decree of the abolition of vodka, I appreciate the fact that we are here living under extraterritorial privileges and that the Chinese Government can bring no pressure to compel. us to close these opium shops, consequently the determination to keep them open in spite of all the national sentment to the contrary does not appeal to me as quite Gounel would be well advised to agree to laying the game. I am quite sure the the modified suggestions I have made in this letter, I furthermore feel quite certain that Chinese public sentiment would much appreciate this gracious act on the part of the foreign community.
T trust, therefore, that the Council will find a way of falling in with these suggestions and thus in addition to the above Sdvantages bring to an end a course of faction which is exceedingly distasteful to 1 large number of Ratepayers.
Tam, Sir, Your obedient servant, (Sgd.) B.S. Lire. cory.
Council Room,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.