July 11
'Much might be written answer to the speech deliver: by the Chairman of the Chape! Chamber of Commerce at the luncheon given by the Chinese Ratepayers' Association to the American editors on Tuesday. But we have no wish to weary the visitors, who moreover will not be Left without something on the other side of the case, which they may digest at leisure, in spite of the efforts that have been made to keep them free from foreign contamination. But one or two points may b> mentioned.
An obvious attempt was made by Mr. Wang Hsiao-lan to work upon racial feelings by insisting upon the predominantly Brizish composition of the Council and police force. It was not a very worthy trick and we may be sure the visitors would not be too well impressed by it. Mr. Wang then dwelt on the signs of material prosperity in Shanghai. But, he asked, has it occurred to you that the progress of Shanghai has in many ways been made to mark time by reason of certain obstacles whi should be removed with the least possible delay? What's wrong: with Shanghai, Shanghai with its continuous. growth in commercial achievements? We emphatic declare that Shanghai needs These directions he defined as administration of justice and municipal administration, on Chinese lines. Now here is a simple test of the truth of this assertion, If the prosperity of the foreign settlements, of Sharsextraterritoriality. and for Shanghai is being retarded by
ut of Chinese administration then. obviously the purely Chinese districts of Chapel and Nan-fas (north and south of ths foreign area) ought to show Vastly greater evidence of preyress—"massive structures, spa-Tious roads and heavy' traffic." But do they? We would mere ask the American visitors to go and see for themselves what they. do show as fruits of unhampered Chinese administration.
Mr. Wang then pointed out that the Chinese population in the International Settlement numbers 820,000. and pays over per cent. of the rates, yet they have no vote and all affairs ar managed by the 2,000 thomaelves here. First of a'l, igners. Two points suggest
that each individual foreigner must by Mr. Wang's showing pay about twenty-four times as Much in taxes as each Chinese. and we believe that is actually the proportion, But even more important is the fact that such enormous numbers of Chine: think it worth while to live the foreign settlements. If the conditions of life are so oppress sive for them as Mr. Wang implies, if justice is so badly administered, the Council so equitable, the police so tyrant nous, why do these hundreds of thousands of Chinese not go and enjoy the rule of their own officiais in Chapei and Nantao? There is an obvious answer. But it may well be left to the clear intelligence of the American editors to find it for themselves.
Stress was laid by Mr. Wang on the fact that Chinese ratepayers in the French Concession (as in the International ettlement) do not have votes. Well, for that matter in the French Concession hare no votes, but a great many people, foreign and Chinese, manage to live there very happily. But will Mx. Wang tell us of any Chinese city in which popular representation in municipal affairs, by ratepayers' votes, can be found? It does not' and never has existed even in Chapei and Nantao where, if anywhere, one might expect it. It is hard-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.