Wy the Editor of Ue "Nonrit-Cinxa Darty News"
Sin—At the Annual General Moetug of the Metropolitan Land: Ca.
veral days ago, the chairman in his Feport remarked that conditions in the housing and real estate business Shanghai showed signs of improve ment, This is cheery news and presumably gives the views of the directors of the company, business men Who should, and doublies do know what they are talking about. But 8 non-business man and merely a holding shares in anoth of the nowly-formed lau companies T most definitely am unable to follow the line of the chairman's reasoning seems to me that apartments, sidence, shops and so forth (erected, say, within the last 10 years. when Tand and building materials, labour ete., were two or three times as costly as they are to-day -and five or six times as costly as pre-war days) will never be on a revenue-earning basis even though they are full up to ea pacify, at the reduced rentals land-fords are foreed to offer tenants these days, Flats -to my. personal know. ledge that were in 1933 rented at '£100 say. $154) "are now lot at $89 per month, not because of the kindliness of heart of the landlord but because tenants cannot afford to pay more. Even ut these reduced rates just take a peop into any apartment building and note that usually "one-third to (wosthird is vacant, "Could any mathematician, oF higher accountant Wndly prove to me how it will be possible for these newly formed land companies to pay a dividend or to continue to exist unless some miracle happens?
Gtoomy Bint.
Shanghai, Dee. 13, To the Editor of the "Nomm-Cmna Datwy News"
'Stry—Yesterday, in the correspondents' column, T read the words of some English friend, who, referring recent events in' England, sald—YOur, harps are hung on the! willow May I say that T do not think so. I think England has honoured her-Self and has taught a careless and thoughtless world a great and much needed lesson.
T honour England for what she hhas_ done, Women cannot play with the mi Hage vow, and reign as queens among men. And God's law is Just fag true for men as it Is for women. Men cannot play with it and reign as kings—in the true sense.
To every true man, the wife in his home is his queen. And every queen deserves and should have for her husband, a king.
England has honoured herself, her throne, and her God.
T make my bow to England.
Cuas. W. Rankin. Shanghai, Dec. 15.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.