Worse still the longer the indefinite situation prevails the harder will it be for the place to climb back. There are to-day those people with property in the Estate who are serously thinking of selling out, their hands lies the apprecia depreciation of their neighbours lots. Let the first stretch of ground be sold to an individual who makes it generally uncomfortable for all around and the canker has started in at that particular point of the valley. And all this comes about through lack of confidence, for get the feeling of safety back and there will be little talk of selling, as all holdings will be considered paying investments.
The article then goes on to deal! with the recent history of the tate, the wrongful act of the. Chinese authorities in annexing it under the impression that it was a concession instead of private property, land thereafter its handing back in return for the recognition of China's ight to police the place. It points out that although the foreign Council pay for this policing, they have no right to enforce disciplinary measures, apd goes on to say:—The Landrenters Meeting in great preponderance pressed for an improvement and some speakers bluntly stated that now the Chinese authorities, after they have been given a Chance to assume their s0- verein rights of policing, have been discovered to fail, the request should be presented to them that the police be withdrawn and the Estate go back to their old system of paying their own watchmen. On the other hand there was a very meagre minority who magnified legalities out of all propostion, who thought that because Kuling was in China the Chinese had every right to do as they liked. However, the upshot was that the incoming Coun-deal the matter and get imcil were emphatically instructed to
mediately running some reliable system of guarding foreign persons and property. Their conferences in this connection must be still continuing for as yet we have not heard of any change taking place.
Watchmen not Policemen The solution of the whole problem does not seem to us to be so difficult-of attainment. Admitting that the Chinese right of policing i Just one, the crux of the matter that the Estate does not require policemen so much as watchmen. The Estate has built the watchmen's houses and has a perfect right to fill them with whom it likes and pay the men in them at a rate which will ensure the best type to carry, out the duties reliably. As it is the Council have to pay men chosen by' P the Chinese at a rate similar to those in Chinese territory so there little incentive toward giving the belter service which f{/reigners demand. Therefore thee is but one way and that is to have only as many police as there is police work, to.do and have watchmen fill the watch houses. The foundation work would then devolve on direct employees of the Council. while - the lesser call on the right of the State to arrest can still rest on a minimum police guard. Thus service can be maintained and "face" saved.
In conclusion the article says: It is to be hoped: that the Council will not allow any more time to pass before they act. People are on the verge of returning after the summer and it-is-but natural that they wish to know how matters will stand in the winter before they Teave. We wait, therefore, in con-ion with many others, in eager Kuling promises to be again a secure foreign summer resort and it is now up to the appointees of the Landrenters to ensure that promise is honoured.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.