In proposing the report and accounts, Mr. Fessenden touched briefly on Various items in the accoun: s which appeared to him to need m@e detailed explanation! than had been given them in the treasurer's report. The very satisfactory surplus shown nad been a result of economies in all municipal departments, he said: the work of the Public Works Department, for instance, had been cut down to the utmost" dezree consistent with efficiency, resulting in a saving here alone of Tls. 308,244. Another saving had been effected in the Interest. Charges. Emergency measures were responsible for the heay over-expenditure on general rges, and the deficit on the extraordinary budge? was attributable to the fact that the loan authorized at the Inst rate-payers' meeting had not been issued until carly this year.
He paid a tribute to the Chinese Council, who were fof view Former negotiations were inthe hands of the foreign Powers and the ist government, bat Title to ide in the I so, and there ofa satisfactory settlement inthe near future, Referring he pointed not a party to the Rendition Agreenent and had only been concerning it ina casual and perfunctors manner, though it was of the greatest importance to the It had been hoped that the ome a model one for e manner in which it had functioning had succeeded only spreading distrust and dismay foreign circles. It might now bo} considered one of the most forcible arguments against the abolition of consular Examples of futile immaturity submission to outside influences, and other infractions of judicial propriety, had culminated in the attempt] of the judges to eliminate the foreign deputies, who bad acted as a restraining influence on the body upon which the peace and security of the Settlement. depended. The Council] was doing its utmost to ensure the future functioning of the court on satisfactory basis, (Applause).
The Question of Economy Turning to the Economy Com-sit the committee the Council to outside The delay in the publica-Hon of the report was due to the wide scope of the Committee's investigations, changes in personnel, coniplications in the political situa deny and the fact that the report did 1 reach the Council in its final form I seme tine in danuars. vensment of 2 economy, he emphasized that therd was a difference between the ade ministration of a municipal! and corns mercial corporation which could roll be estimated in dollars and eentsy The aim of the one was to promotd the collective interests of 'a come munity without thought of mone gain, and of the other to. profit. "Mere cheapness "is criterion whatever of efficient ministration," he said. The on which the Council acted was of the the America sultan diffusion of responsibility, which might. be rem adoption of the recommend the Eeonomy: Committee of the pointment of a Chief Executive with broad powers.
Tu concluding, Mr. Fessenden ree plied "to some' of the criticisms levelled at the Council "by: persons. who do not appear to have made extended investigations of the (economy) oF fo nave ang, ery the difficulties which no bes Council might have beer vided by.
sightedness on the of thei Representations to the Powers:
The resolution was seconded by.
Mr A.D, Mr, O, M, Green—It is not usual for any comment to be made on the Chairman's speech on the Report! Jand Accounts, But after what My.
Fessenden has been telling us about the Council's policy in roxpect of the) Provisional Court, I feel sure you will agree that some expression of the ratepayers' feeling is. required, For this question of the future o the Provisional Court is beyond all doubt by far the most serious with which Shanghai is faced, In com= parison, even the sale of the Electricity Department is a little things} We know what Nanking means to do, fit can, at the end of this years! when the Rendition Agreement pires, We have been told quite plainly by the Nanking official news fayeney more than once, Tt means to abolish the Provisional Court! altogether, to got rid of the foreign Deputies and the small cheek they are able to exercise in the interests Justice, and to substitute a purely Chinese court. Gentlemen, if that! ix allowed to happen, the Municipal Council may ae well shut up shop Noo government or ade!
ative hedy can function one! Impartial and court. Law and order fceurity of life and property. Shanghai will simply conse to exist. We have seen the Provisional Court going steadily fom bad to worse, You will remember the isgeraceful chicanery by. which the Kianksu Provincial Government hunted Judge Loo Hsing-yuan out of the Presidency of the Court about nine months ago. His sole offence was that he tried to run the Court fairly, and that he refused to allow the politicians to make a tool of it. So they trumped up a list of charges against him that were either palpably false or blatantly absurd. Then finding that these were not sufficient under their exist ing laws to ensure his dismissal, they invented new rules to catch him. And finally they appointed Commission of Inquiry to sit upon him in which the principal person was Judge Loo's most deadly enemy and his most vindictive arouser, When Judge Loo gave up. the struggle and retired in disgust fou will further remember hhow his successor, the present Pre sident, swore at his installation to be a faithful servant to the Kuomintang and to obey them implicitly in! all things, Not a week passes but! you have an illustration of how faithfully that oath is kept. You! have seen the ease of two murderers sentenced to death, in one instance on think cghtcen counts, and thin] was confirmed bythe' Appeal Court; but the case was ordered Ly, the Kiangsu Provincial Government be retried, and, without "ena, scrap of new evidence, the sentences severe commuted to. ferns of fou] Years and ten months" imprisonment Feapectively." You have. seen hee Another criminal was claimed by Chekiang Provincial Government 4 military. detective: and. althousit there was the clearest evidence that he was_a. common kidnapper 2d! farmed robber, the sniges of the Po} visional Court refased to conviedy him because they dated not.
TAI tvs appises with even wreatoe I fetee to the Chinese community of)
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.