Company's Delegate—What is to be Done On Monday last a meeting took place between M. L. Bridou, an old resident of Shanghai and the representative of the French tramway company and the French Municipal Council, relative to the dispute over the alleged inadequacy of the company's services. M. Bridou attended at the latter's invitation.
At the commencement of the proceedings the president of the Council, M. Dufaure de la Prade, welcomed M. Bridou and, in the name of the Council, expressed gratification at the nomination of M. Bridou as the company's representative. His personality was a guarantee of the spirit which would animate the negotiations and it went without saying that M. Bridou, formerly a resident, a member of the Council and President of the French Chamber of Commerce, would not have the heart not to respond to the desires of the Municipality, and had rendered too many services to the French cause not to know how to reconcile the obligations which his mission imposed upon him with the necessities of the development of the French Concession.
M. Bridou thanked the president and stated that it was with the aim of reconciling the two points of view that he had accepted the position of representative of the company. He had, first of all, to lead the public, and the Council which was born of it, to a more exact appreciation of the company's efforts and the measures taken by it to meet the needs of the French Concession. Hoe looked forward to a fruitful collaboration between the Council and the company.
M. Bridou then unfolded the company's programme as follows The works contemplated were:—1, The main conduit:—The Chinese authorities were at present proceeding with the necessary accommo dating works along the path of this main.
2. The filter beds:—Work on these will commence at the end of this month.
3. Pumps:—These have been ordered in France and will arrive shortly.
4. The steel intake pipe from the middle of the Huangpu to the tanks:—This has also been ordered in France and if, by reason of force majeure, it does not arrive in time the technical service of the company will instal a conduit of sheet steel.
M. Bersani also spoke on the present and future situations of the water supply.
M. Bridou assured the Council that the programme of extensions, giving, without over taxing the system, a daily production of 26,500 cubic metres per diem, would be completed by the end of May, 1921, except where prevented by force majeure,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.