fo the Editor of the "NorTH-Cuina DaAtty News."
Smirn,—The time for the revision. of the District Court agreement is drawing close, and a section of the Chinese population is urging for the complete rendition of the Municipal Gaols. And why not? The ever-increasing prison population cannot be for ever a burden on the ratepayers' shoulders. The enormous expenditure on Gaols might well be diverted to some useful purpose, hospitals or schools for instance; the Council might, through the Consular Body, accept responsibility for foreign Consular prisoners, but why maintain a large establishment, and a huge Foreign and Indian staff on the Municipal pay-roll, the expense of which, the Government appears to be very keen on assuming.
The Chinese Government collect quite a large sum through the Customs which seem to do the ratepayers here very little good, by all means let them spend something on their nationals in the Settlement. Anyhow, if the cost of living rises very much more, quite a number of us will be seeking the hospitality of the local prisons, and maybe the Municipal orchestra will at last justify its existence and keep us amused during our stay there.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.