We hear from a reliable source that the Shanghai Municipal Council employees have formed an asso-jon and. that committee meetings have already been held to di cuss various questions. The principal one is, of course, the question of salaries and iis understood that scheme is being drawn up for Submission to the Council in the near future, One cannot put the increased cost of living down in any degree to heavy transportation costs. The trams and buses. provide good—it crowded—secommotation at. very '@reap rates and have not increased their fares since 1924, Regarding motor ears, one can hire a car for $1 and go to any spot in the Settlement or French Concession without extra charge—a. most economical manner of travelling considering that five or six persons can bundle in if so desired." It is cheaper for finan and wife attending a theatre town and living far out in. the French Concession or Settlement take a car after' the show—rieshas would cost as much. little to grumble about regarding charges for elect at, and. water fo increase in rates for some years and we have very excellent services.
This is an expensive item nowadays. "Boys" and cooks get some: thing in the region of $0. month each and coolies $13. to $20. Ten years ago their wages were very much less and the writer remem. hers. excellent. servants 15 years go of half present rates, Amahs also demand wages about 100 pez ent. higher than 10 years ago.
Coal is expensive, Reference to the published lists will show thi Fifteen years ago K.MUA. household coal could be bought in Tientsin for $7.59 a ton. In Shanghai in 1916, good house coal was procure: able at Tls. 9.75 por ton. Toit is about $20, while anthracite coal varies between $30 and $10 per ton.
Compared with former. years, clothes are expensive. A foreign tailor demands anything between $60 and $100 for a suit nowadays. A grey flannel suit costs something. in the neighbourhood of $45—ten years ago $90 or thereabouts would meet the case. Chinese tailors also
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.