'A Suggestion To the Editor of the "Nowti-Cumwa Datcy News"
Siy—As one, who is at all times ready and willing to support the Government in all laudable operations, I fee) that in the matter of the late "Spring Holidays" or to be more correct the Chinese New Year celebrations, the, no doubt, well, meaning Government officials have displayed a remarkable lack of common "horse-sense".
This year the celebrations, notwithstanding, a serious depression, have been markedly more than last 'The situation was truly "Gilbertian", Governmental offices remained open' to no purpose in that business transacted was nil or very negligible. The Shanghai Municipal Council, followed the idea opening rheic schools, bub taking particular care that their own offices were closed.
To force a conservative nation like the Chinese people to abandon their old ingrained happy customs shows: fan utter Ink of veal administrative ability, causing unnecessary bitterness from their citizens when the Government wants all assistance it can get.
The real holidays could be officially recognised as a "Lunar Festival" for, say, three days.
And while on this subject 1 would respectfully suggest that the foreign business concerns make every endeavour to meet the National Government in getting the holidays to synchronize, and remembering we are in China, "to try and sink peculiar national ideas of holidays: as for as possible, and "line up" with, this country's syitem—as it is now, the holiday question is an utter farce.
Shanghai, Feb. 7.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.