Declaring that the five Chinese Couneitiors, who represent the major portion of" the International. Setitement's residents, were all against the municipal rate' Snerease to 16 per ent, the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce of Shanghai, in a letter the S.M.C. on Mar, 26, stated that the Council should not adhere to iv decision to increase its general rate in complete distr of the Chinese population's opinions, because the Counelt's organization is not as before, basis of Sino-foreign ce-operation, The otter continued that the Chinese residents are not, unwilling to see that the Council's budget is balanced, but they are of the opinion that the method chosen by the Council to reach the goal of a balanced budget is not the right one, Th 'Chinese residents have time and again 'Suggested enforcing economy regarding the munfeipal orchestra and the foreign employees' exchange com-Pensations, butt unfortunately, these Suggestions have never met with approval. In view of this, the Council are earnestly requested to re-consider the question of tax increases so that the 16 per cent. increase will be abolished, the letter concluded.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.