Another Sub-Committee which has been very active during the past year is the Shipping Sub-Committee. It has had very important work to do in connexion with the future of Shanghai Harbour. The report issued by the International Committee of Engineers was submitted, as you know, to all the Chambers of Commerce in Shanghai, and our Shipping Sub-Committee went into it very fully, eventually agreeing with most of the recommendations made by the eng-inoers, but disagreeing with some. They were in complete agreement with the opinion that as far as the approaches to the harbour are concerned a strong harbour policy is essential. They also agreed with the suggestions that a mail and passenger wharf near the mouth of the Huangpu should be constructed, provided always that the class of vessels for which such a wharf is intended are willing and able to use it. And they favoured authority being secured to build-a wharf godown and railway terminal on the left bank of the Huangpu noder certain conditions. These various points were settled after a good deal of discussion and careful investigation and I think a word of acknowledgment is due to Mr. G. W. Sheppard, who did a great deal of this work.
I regret that I cannot give you any information as to when the recommendations of this International Committee of Engineers are to be put into - force, but it is sincerely to be hoped that a com mencement will soon be made. Shanghai is growing so fast, and has such a big future, that it is essen-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.