SHANGHAI, MARCH 22. 1923
Excerpts from Minutes, Meeting of the Watch Committee held on Friday, March 9,'1923, at 4.89 p.m.
Public Ricsha Serv 'A report by the Commissioner of Police dealing with the several points left outstanding at the meeting of the Committee on February 9, is sub roitted and read, and members observations and directions are recorded thereon, as follows:—
1. Proposed Pattern of Ricsha,—In view of the difficulty in obtaining the best results from ricsha builders, the Commissioner strongly recommends that the Council should put this matter up to competition and offer money prizes for the best three plans received, viz: first prize Tls. 500, Cee prize, Tls. 300, third prize Tis. In reply to members, he camphedtasd the opinion expressed in his report that by this means the best results will be obtained, that the present type of ricsha is far from satisfactory, that it was believed that a stamped metal body on the lines of the latest American motor cars would prove more economical and satisfactory and that, if his suggestion as to a competition were adopted, he believed that it would have the merit of interesting the public in one of the most important matters with which the Council had to deal, and might also be the means of bringing out fresh and valuable ideas not found previously in ricsha construction. After brief consideration, members record their approval of the Commissioner's suggestions and direct that they be communicated to the French Council for an expression of its views and enquiry as to whether it would contribute towards the suggested money prizes.
2. Tariff of Fares.—-The Commissioner recommends that the present tariff for old ricshas maintained and that the tariff for the new class of ricshas be exactly double. Members direct that this recommendation he also communicated to the' French Council for its views.
3. Security Deposit.—The Commissioner suggests that the maximum deposit should not exceed $5 per ricsha, and, after dealing with certain points of detail in connexion with the levy of a security deposit, he states that on further consideration he strongly favoured substituting proper legal executed bonds for money de posits with certain conditions attached thereto, authorizing the Qouncil to deal with the bonds in case of default..He expresses the view that such bonds would enable the Council to eliminate undesirable applicants better than the more easily found cash deposits A member suggests that cash deposits would place the Council in a stronger position unless the soundness of the bonds was very carefully checked, whilst another member remarks that he personally favoured a cash deposit in the belief that it would tend to restrict the number of additional ricshas that would be placed on the streets, inasmuch as it would keep out the unreliable class of owner. Eventually, however, in view of the Com missioner's strong preference for bonds, members direct that his suggestion in re be submitted to the French Council and that should it approve, the Legal Adviser he then requested to draw up the bond conditions.
4. Revised Licence Conditions.—It is noted that the licence conditions have been revised by the Secretary and Commissioner General and forwarded to the Commissioner of Police for his views, and that they will be submitted for members' consideration at a later meeting.
5. Period of Time for which the existing type of Ricsha is to be permitted to operate.—The Commissioner states that he is not at present in a position to advise on this point, which depended to a great extent on the type of new ricsha put on the streets, whilst it had to be remembered that the existing type could be repaired from time to time in such a way as to render it very difficult to say when exactly the ricsha is past service. In reply to members, and in amplification of his report, he states that he had in mind that it would be rather desirable to wait and see what measure of success the new type met with. Members 6. Time when ihe New Regulations are to come into force.—Oa further consideration the Commissioner suggests and members concur that the tentative date May 1 be altered to July 1 of earliest, in view of the delay Tikely to occur in obtaining plans and building the new type of ricsha, as also to give present and new owners sufficient time to consider the new conditions under which ricshas are to be run.
Motor Freight Vehicles.—The point raised at the Watch Committee meeting of February 9 that motor freight vehicles should be provided with mirrors to enable drive®s to see clearly behind is now authorized to be acted upon in terms of the additional licence con. dition recommended for adoption by the Commissioner of Police.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.