To the Editor of the "Nonri-Cuixa Darcy News"
Si—From the welter of complaint which has appeared in your correspondence columns regarding the new barking regulations, one gets a clear impression of the pleasure derived a certain type of mentality from criticizing public officials from the safe cover of a pseudonym, but this practice, being both vulgar and unintelligent, may safely be ignored.
'The 'TraMle Department does not promulgate regulations for the whimsical fun of the thing, Its members (and this' is where they differ 0 markedly from the majority of your correspondents) know their subject, and are familiar with all the aspects the problems with which they have fo deal. As a result of systematic counts taken at selected points they are in a position accurately to state the traffic density on any given road any given time, and to gain a composite picture of the rhythmic variation of Shanghai traMe both in density and direction according 0 the time of day.
How of your correspondents actually know anything of trae conditions on 0 statistical basis? How many for example, know. the percentage distribution' of motor trame, oth light and heavy, on, say, the East to West roads' between' the limits of Avenue Edward Vil and Peking Road, firstly during the ofice hour rush, and secondly during business hours?' None, i roto assert. But the frame officials do, They deal with Agures and not with personal prejudice, and from their gures they are able to devise means to obtain maximum traflle flow with minimum interruption, and it_park= {ng in certain areas impedes that flow, such parking must be prohibited, They are not interested to know that Mr. A. now has to walk a quarter of a mile to his office, where-previously he walked" twenty yards; they are not interested in the Giscomfort of a thousand Mr. A's if such discomfort materially improves conditions for ten thousand Mr, B's, The greatest good for the greatest number is their sole criterion, and this is as it should be.
You ask that your correspondents should show a sense of humour, and here I think you err. The development of a sense of humour, the ability to laugh at oneself, Is one of the greatest achievements of the human mind, and as such, is not likely 10 have been attained by those to whom you appeal. However, one may reasonably demand the more elementary a sense of fair play, and your correspondents will make a teal effort to grasp the fact that pub: ie officials are at least as conseientious and competent as men in other walks of life, and will give their regulations a fair trial, the ultimate solution of Shanghai's tratlle prob: lems' will draw appreciably loser. Shanghai, Aug. 13.
To the Baitor of the "Nonrit-Ciika Dany News"
Sin—I for one intend joining the Automobile Club of China in the hope that a ratepayers' meeting may bbe called for the purpose of restraining the arbitrary' action of the Council until such time as' representatives from the persons most affected can be given an opportunity of presenting their case.
Tom a ratepayer and fully prepared (o canvas my friends who pos-ess cars and votes, T contend that any action on the part of the Council which tends to Feduce Income is extremely. danger Tous in view of the recent statement showing income for the half year, If several hundred cars are forced off the roads and the SMC. income im paired thereby, then the persons Tesponsible should be summarily dealt with.
Maybe at the next annual rate-jets' meeting such items. as. tepatriation allowances ete, and. {ree car parking for S.M.C, employees will be considered under one heading, Reatriotion allowances, "I understand, vary from a few dollars to several hundreds of dollars per month, 1 am fully in favour of orderly twame™ control and appreciate. the Aimeuties confronting the Police.
Just try and get a traMe policeman away from the shade in the summer fr away from his shelter in bie rainy weather, Do the trate police ever give 0 signal with boll or whistle por 10 hanging the light?" Tei. either Simltanoous or just otter the light has been changed or even not at all would appear that the interests behind trams and buses are 100 tough {o tackle and that rickshaws are *uncontrollable" s0 that the police have nly' the. motorists to pick on, What" has become" Of. the "three months given to the Bus Company" which to abate the smoke nuisance? Has u tram' driver ever been profected for unnecessary: clanging the beh? Has a tram or bus driver verben'cautloned or prosecuted for setting down passengers some feet, more or Tesh, from the kerb What distptinaty. ation has ever been "taken. with' trate" constables who. have deliberately falsified re: Ports "regarding trame offences. Motorists, What do the police intend doing with numerous Nawkers who have increased of late "One con now buy even tennis racquets, slong. With watch straps, small hardware of all Aeseriptons, apples, oranges, bananas, flowers etc. Do the Palleo ever con: Eider the small shopkeeper snd vote: Paper who" has dificult in making Ts isnot a fact that rickshaws have increased within the. past ten. years and yt tasse hub" veees have in' the S.M.C.
weir own trae control department
ordered to don" rubber tyres, but execution delayed "until times. im= Prove despite the fact that Chinese towns have hod this regulation for years.
Trams are being abolished in other arts of the world and yet no mention or provision is made for the abolition of the tram in Shanghai, Follow these trams in any road. the Settlement and ascertain. the source of slow motion, Follow them along the Broadway "and you will wait several times before you can pass, Follow them down "Avenue Road or Canton Road or Chekiang Road, north or south, 'Try to pass on the Bund' and it is touch and go with the rickshaws about twenty feet from" the kerb. Stop on the white line at Kiangse/Foochow Roads and you will find railless cars. to your left going in the opposite dirce= ion. Try to make a right-hand turn from Nanking Road to the Bund and you will get an incessant "dinging" at your back, Pull a little to the Jett of the tram lines and you will a tram sweeping northwards when you wish to proceed south, Have the Council considered the damage caused by motor cars vis-a vis handcarts, wheelbarrows, te," Take a look at the Avenue Edward, The centre or much vaunted "speed (his was the description used by the police some years ago) is still smooth. The sides used by hand-arts, ete., are lumpy and. full pot-toles causing the rickshaws, bleysies, ete, to encroach on the "speedway." "Examine the tram tracks on Canion Road or Avenue Road and note how the wheelbarrows and handeatts, which persist in clinging to the tram lines, have ruined the stone setts. Compare the fees. paid by, motor-cars and handcarts ete.
As T look out of my office window 1 count a car now and again a few empty rickshaws, handcarts, but both sides of the street lined with cars, including my own, near Canton Road on Szechuen Road, 1 will close this spontaneous outburst with that oft repeated request to throw open: that lice and bugidden lot to the car owner, namely the Bund foreshore.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.