It the year in Shanghai has been calm, one is not able to say that it kas been' prosperous. To a dimeult situation, and perhaps an unsolvable tone, the Chinese Government hax Drowwght a remedy by financial measures of which you know. Who, at this particular moment, can, foretell fall the results?" The financiers out economists are so diverse in thei: Judgments upon this new scheme that able to say that the fulure 1 completely unknown.
Arrived at a critical period, (itt. not the frst one, but the amazing resistance of Shangihal has surmount? other very heavy economic crises), the Munfelpal administration as. found self obliged to mark time in execution of its urban scheme. AN the risk of submitting itself pechap. to grave criticism, it has been obliged to Fenounee the scheme of laying ov: big municipal roads, and has postpone fo a more propitious. time the con~ struction of a" beautiful munieipa building of which you all had the opportunity of admiring the prize: winning plans.
Assisted by the Commission, municipal administration has, never theless, pursued unceasingly Ils pro= gramme of ordinary works. Ne" Buildings have been completed, namoa the Poste Mallet, the militar, Bakery, the Caserne Gallien, the municipal printing works, and. the general store, Two buildings, the dispensary and the infirmary, ave been enlarged.
Ten kilometres of roads which the French Concession possesses, that st to say a million square metres of roadway, and half a million square metres of pavement, have been maintained, repaired, and entirely relait Jor paved. with the tonnage of gramme growing unceasingly and ranging from '5300 tons a day in Avenue Petain 20,000 tons a day in Avenue Edward 'VII, Tt has become imperative replace the eld road surfaces which have become lnsuiclent.
Despite the passing but, inevitable Gisagreemente with property owners, the raising of the road surfaces has been continued, making certain roads more suitable and saving them from the inconvenience of Mooding.
"You will have noticed that a num-ver of tests have been made of nev apparatus and lamps, public lighting being the object of considerable atten tion." T will not go any further. The old French proverb, "When the build-
Shanghai, to organize an Exhibition of Native Goods, To complete the plans for construc lon of a steel Bridge across the Whangpoo River—Kuo Min.
Gentlemen, the Press of yesterday Informed you of the meeting of Chinese ratepayers in the Concession, and the resolutions passed. T have just tala you of the building of the Lagrene School, which bring the total to three large Chinese. schools m the French Concession, Tat ts a reply' to these who accuse us of ne. lecting the education of the Chiness population, Sul moved by the assassination of Vice-Minister Tang Vu-jen, a crime which we reprobate with" all our strength, this Association draws tne falention of the French authorities to the frequence of assassinations ccm~ fied In territory under their jurisdiction.
Here is oar reply:—In 1034 there were. 251 complaints of armed robberies; 217 in. 1035, of Which 137 were solved. 217. arrests were made In 1995 as against 151 in 1034. 'During' the last three months 21 Tu 1985 two ned kidnappings took place, 'On' nine occasions the police encountered the bandits, and shels were exchanged. "Two officers have been killed, auxiliary officer Mikine, and a Tonkinese constable, three oticers, were wounded, four bandits were killed and two wounded.
Very Few Striki have already made allusion to the calm which prevailed during the year. There' were very few strikes, 1102 work days being lost as. compared with 87,000 in the preceding year. In 1935_one-two-hundredth of the toit for. Shanghai.
"The Last week of vast month the Settlement end the Chinese city we the scene of an active demonstration. Thanks to precautions taken no such manifestation took place in the Concession.
'Once on August 6 at St. Catherine' Bridge the police had to intervene against the elements of disorder, The special brigade and the reserves from the central police station forbade tke entrance into the Concession of a band ff vagabonds whose brutality had beea exercised against three of our Ton hinese police.
This Concession In Shanghai is the principal French establishment China. Tt is but Atting, then, tha: His protection "and its " regulations, should. before everything else French in essence and inspiration. But we should not forget that the majority of the residents are foreigners, and that all ratepayers have the same rigers to the attention of the munlcipal administration and the. public I T may be pot mitted to vive you advice, it is that you should remem ber that we are in a foreign country fand that in the interest of French works the union of all French people indispensable, Without it we ara unable to obtain the collaboration of the Chinese population which sur> rounds us. bute to Late Mf, Wilden this spot where M. Wilden often welcomed the French people Shanghai, you would wish, gentlemen to join me in rendering to our mourned Minister and friend a sad homage. His death as been fel: heavily by you all. You will, 1 am sure, approve of the decision of the Conseil" administration, who in giving his name to one of the streets tre Concession, seck to prolong his memory amongst us.
On all lips there is the name of another former Consul-General Shanghai. Successor to M. Widen in this post, M. Nagginr has been designated by the Frenct Government to succeed him at Peiping. With me you will welcome his return amongst official under his orders, T would remind you that it was due to his foresight that we awe the Caisse des euvres: dintérét Public.
Baudez then proposed a toast to France and the French Concession of Shanghai, and after he kad been Foundly" applauded—the orchestra brought the proceedings to a close with "La Marseillaise."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.