The chairman's speech at the annual general meeting of the Shanghai Property Owners' Association yesterday afternoon was not so thrilling as, in view of the year through which it has gone, it was to be expected. Nevertheless it is clear that the Committee had a very strenuous time of it, and managed successfully to look after the rights of their members in a creditable way considering all the difficulties with which they had to contend. It is unfortunate that the outbreak of hostilities prevented something being done to secure reform of the dilatory tactics of the local Chinese Courts with regard to the mortgage laws and those governing the relationship of landlord and tenant. It is a matter upon which this journal has had occasion to comment adversely on several occasions, and, though the outbreak of fighting is responsible for the fact that up to now nothing has been done, it is still possible to criticize the Nanking Government for the fact that up to August of last year nothing had been achieved to bring about a more satisfactory state of affairs, It is perfectly clear that the attitude of China's legislators towards this matter inspired some of the quainter of the two Special. District Courts' decisions, and the manner in which tenants have been able to avoid or at least postpone the meeting of their just obligations casts grave reflections on the status of Chinese law in this respect.
There is a need for a general tightening up of the law on these matters, and it is to be hoped that, when times are better and the Chinese Government is able to pay the necessary attention, remedies will be found for the removal of abuses which have a decidedly
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.