Another matter that has engaged the attention of the committee of this association, and that has, I may state, given a great deal of work, was the new agreement between the Shanghai Municipal Council and the Shanghai Waterworks Ca., Ltd. Tne association fully reeamnized the Justice of a new agreement, at the same Lime they considered that certain clauses would not operate fairly owners of property, and it connection with these that negotiations' took place extending for some months. I'am glad to-say that a satisfactory solution has been found to the various points of difference, One of the most recent decisions cone to by the association which was given publicity to carly in the year was their decision to recommend to their members the collection of Chinese rentals on the Gregorian calendar and not as has been the} practice heretofore on the Chinese calendar. I might say that this decision was come to before we Preeent. the "property. owner Bhanghai, the brand principles smhich were to form the basis of thi Association were then stated and bink that I'ean dome better than 40" brlelly te fee. to" them. The isolation is: primarily im the me fereats of property owners Shanghai, as it wus felt that there wag a nood for a more general and common policy in discussing various Problems. that arise from: time to Aline alfeting property. "The bation Is steely non-political and {international in the widest sense the word, there wag, and fs to-day equally 40, no intention to" in any Srny'thke advantage of the powers of" the" unoclation to" oppress Tenants, in fact one of our objects trrievancea, itis to the interests property owners to have satiated fand contented. tenants, 'There. is feo. no idea of being antagonistic 4o-the two Councils, in fact it is ther way, we with to work the authorities trid we feel that they vweleome the formation of this body, as they can be certain that they' will have our assistance and ducking In everything that pertain the order and wellbeing of either: Settlement.
'A Year of Diliculties 1 think 1 can say that what has been done since we started has fully Suited our existence, as ix well mown' to' all of you here_ present, HART was year fal of ale for all property owners, dffeulties tmbich ina weeater degree were more due to polities agitators than 42 any dissatisfaction amongst the tenant arly in the year, an agitation was aturted. for the reduction of Tens, This, however, was not very terious but it soon developed into a emand.'for the remission of the 2nd and rd moons rentals due to the focal Chinese authorities, under the quite of 1 special tax for the antcNorth campaign, calling for a <ontribution from all tenants of an SSmiount equal to these rentals. The aswecation took. prompt. steps. Combat this agitation throug Vawious "oflelal sources, and. proclamations were Hnsuedy and. while itidid not die down at once, im the carly autumn it might be said to brave conic to an end as far as the Sntsenational Settlement and French, concession wore concerned Tam sorry to say. that members sxwninge property in Nantao, Chaped, the City have. mot, been 8 fortunate ni that it's extremely dien, if not impossible, to collect, ese outstanding, vent, Arising from this agitation, dig ccolties occurred in fling eases for Iron-payment of rents, more especial.
regueds the' authority. of were approached by any political or other party and it was animated solely by the idea that in view of the changes that have taken place, it was out of date to collect rentals on the Chinese calendar.
These are only a few of the mat-tors that have engaged the attention of the Committee of the Asso-lation during the past 12 months, a great deal of other work has been done. It must be apparent to all of you that an association like this {is not started ready made, we had to feel our way cautiously and earn by experience the best way of putting it on a working basis, and Tan assure you that there has been an enormous amount of work done by the members of the committee, not only at full committee meetings Dut at various sub-committee one:
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.