Apr 6
There can be few better of weighing up the administra tion of the International Settlement than by studying the pages. of the report on the Budget to be submitted to the Ratepayers' Meeting at the Grand Theatre next week. The growth of the Settlement in the last ten years has, been 0 rapid that, given an authority able to work in normal conditions and with established sanctions at its back, the task of coping with the changes implied in the enormous additions to the population would be formidable enough. It says much for the ability of the with Council itself has steered its course amid the difficult political currents of the. day, that the report can give evidence of alertness in tackling the complexity of such problems as housing, road-widening, and other constructional works. Under the heading of Extraordinary Expenditure, for example, there are appropriations for the construction—either in progress or completed—of bridges over the Soochow Creek at Kiangse Road and Chekao Road, for a general development of the drainage system in the Eastern Road, for a new wharf at Chemulpo Road, for extensive new buildings required by the Police Force, for alterations and improvements to markets under the Health Department which is also interested in the proposed and, it is to be hoped, soon to be completed Victoria Nurses'
Home; for incinerators in the Eastern Dis~ trict, for schools and for the leading to road extensions, These are a. few items taken at random from indicate the burden thrown on the Public Works Department and should evoke confidence in its activitic The mere fact that works on is scale can be undertaken, in difficulties arising out of the extra ettle-controversy; is eloquent of good team work and, a clear understanding between the various departmental chiefs.
The Revenue side of the Council's work invariably finds in the facts and figures of the Commission-ex's report, A healthy note is detectable in the excess of the total actual revenue over the estimate figures by more than Although the centage for Tax and Rate collection was reduced in the middle of the year, the total receipts improvement of 206,000 over the 1929 is a drop, of Tis, 185,000 on the Land Tax receipts but this is wiped out by increases of Tls. 83, 0 and Tis, 102,000 for Wharfage dues and Revenue from Public and Municipal Undertakings respect ively. The increases of Tis, 102,- 000 and Tls. 118,000, for Foreign Municipal Rates and Licence:|fees respectively, roughly ace count for the advance over 1929, may be noted that the collec: ion of rates from Chinese shows fa slight decline of Tls. 13,000; taken in conjunction with " th the difficulties hich the Commissioner refers ard to the assessment of The Licence Fe reflect the development of the moto'ng industry in Shanghai, From motor vehicles and ages the total collections exceeded those of 1929 by Tls. 72,00 Out the humble bicycle curiously enough helped to swell the han enhancement of Tls. 17,000, while the humbler art maintained a balance on the right side with collections total ling Tis, 1,100 over those of Private rieshas contributed Tis, 11,000 account than in 1929. Pawnshops ave Tis, 12,- 000 more and with that figure the whole of the total increase under the head of Licence Fe is practically accounted for, The falling off of Tis.
3,000 Hotels, Foreign Liquor Sellers me-shops is more than compensated by an increase of Tls. 6,000 on Cinemas and Entertainments.
Changing cus-haps account for the decreases on Sin; houses by Tis, 1,000 and on Wheelbarrows by nearly Tls. 4,000, The Settlement's need for tobacco, sampans—to dogs, thoroughly catholic in selection—seems to be static.
Attention, however, may be drawn to the increase of Tls. 2000 on fees for firearm licence
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.