The Shanghai Munlefpal Council has courteously rejected the Autom>- bile Club of China's request for a postponement of the new trae reulations which are further explained to-day by publication of car-parking map, The Club will note that the Counelt does not adopt a rig titude for it agrees that, atter months, the whole matter may be reconsidered in the light of experience fained with the object of effecting ch modifications Ju the regulations as may be found necessary, No-one desires to see any one section of the community unfairly penalized by reulations made in the public interest and motorists may be assured of sympathy if ft be found that some of their dark forebodings are justined by the event. It is, however, desir able that the new scheme should be practically tested, especially' as It has been so long under public examina ton, "without being subjected really constructive -eriticism, The motorists might perhaps reconsider their position as defined by the arguments sponsored by the Automobile Club, For example it is stated that they are mulcted in taxation equal to or in excess of that applied able in Great Britain where greater benefits are forthcoming. Without attempting to rebut or confirm that assertion it must be pointed out that relief from excessive taxation must be specifically afforded not effected by the irrelevant "and "'unssientine device of presenting the "alleged victims with' free parking space. at the public expense. No doubt motorists have their grievances but there are also the rights of pedes-{rians and users of other forms of traMe to consider, Not enough. attention is paid to the disabilities under which pedestrians, for example, have to suffer in going about perils of the public streets have. very claim to consideration on that account. The Council, it Is true, expected private enterprise to come the rescue and provide garage accom: modation on the introduction of the new rules, The idea that the failure of private enterprise to move as expected absolves the Council from the obligation to clear the streets can-hot be endorsed. The Council itself, Indeed, appears to be under the im= pression that in some way or other private enterprise has acted, for its conviction that suficlent. parking space will be avallable next month oes not reject the Automobile Club's figures and it 4s to be assumed therefore that free parking will be satisfactorily supplemented by the pald accommodation already in existence. In considering this, by no means simple problem perhaps a final: word of friendly caution may be addressed posed of men of sober judgment and one vision, Tt isnot likely there-re to be misled Into endorsing such sentiments as are truculently expressed in a letter published in the correspondence columns to-day over the pseudonymous initials, "P.M If that altitude could be regarded as typical then there would be cause for considerable anxiety. The Ratepayers would be deliberately asking for trouble'if they could be stamped ed ignoring the primary consideration of the general good. The writer of the etter himself terms ft "a spontaneous outburst." and dismiss it as a case of "spontaneous combustion."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.