To the Editor of the "Norri-Cuaa Dany News"
Sin—Duting my absence from Shanghai I read with interest the correspondence which has been pub-Ished in the N-C.D.N. as well as your is an excellent thing indeed that pub-Tie opinion should be voiced through your columns and you may be sure That the public at large for. the attitude which you have {aken in the matier. But it must be realized that the foreign population in Shanghai Is extremely heterogeneous fand apathetic and that the complaints fof a few, even with the support of the local' press, will be of no avail "action" is not taken in @ more effective manner.
T have personally drawn the atten ton of the authorities of the French [Concession on the considerable, pering and Increasing nuisance caused by automobile drivers, barking of dogs, shouting of peddiars, misbehaviour of motorcyclists riding their machines without muMers, and so th. I have indeed been listened to /mpathy and whatever assistant could be offered to me personally T have received: but the complain few are sometimes considered as the action of disgruntled and super-nervous individuals; therefore, if the Fesidental quarters of Shanghai have fo benellt to some extent of a new state of affairs it will only be after collective pressure has been brought ripon the municipal bodies who are yesponsibie for the administration and welfare of this area, In every city in the world a campaign has been launched—and Taun-ched. suceessfully—so as to remedy fas much as possible the abuse of noise caused by individuals who have uno sense of decency and because of conditions resulting from our so-cal Jed civilization. the other hand it fact that officials of the administ ments do not ike, as advised as to what they should do they know everything Shanghai is concerned, cularly noticeable. Different sugges: tions have been brought forward by {yout correspondents and many others Zoula be made which would undaub' ferried out, im: to a considerable! 9 far, been taken The first thing that should be done would be to the areas of the International Settleme the French, Conceition in two distinct a) The Business District, jential district. The work of pulling a stop to the abuse of hoises should be started in the resid ential distelot where people, after a entitled fo a litre the. residential drivers should be! signale between say 11. fam. Chinese and foreign should be advised of this re by notice in the papers and fnteo that within a few weeks' nobody would be awakened in the middle of the night by the shrieking of electric horns: and a frst step of progress would be achieved in that Girection. There are naturally and always people who think that they are clever by pretending that such and fuch an innovation is impossible in Shanghai. That Is not true." Although the crowds of pedestrians and car Flekshaw coolles, acrobats on bicycles fand so forth, sre allowed to use the thoroughfares es if they were their own. playgrounds and without any fection or control whatever, T hat found that witha little care it is possible to drive a car through the Business portion of the town while using an electric horn with diseretion. As night sound signals should be replaced by a spotlight as it, is done now fu Europe and Americ The fash of the light is used instead of the shrieking blast of the horn fand the same result is achieved, The noise caused by the barking of dogs during the night is. also sometimes unbearable. In Tsingtao it is very rate to see a dog strolling in the streets or even to hear one. An atmosphere of peace reigns all over, the place, because as far as dogs are concerned the police have taken a very strict attitude. As no criticism Is worth anything if It is not.constructive I" shall now review the different causes of noise of which everybody complains of in Shanghai fand make a few suggestion regarding remedies to be applied (a) Motorcars-—Firstly, no automobile driver: Should be allowed to make use of Sound signals without the approval the trafic department. There are, in Europe, generally two kinds of eiecttle horns. One which is to be used within cities and gives a soft although efficacious warning. The other one, of the type which is unfortunately used and abused in Shanghai, is only Towed in the country and for the put pose of warning another automobile river when passing the latter's car. Such rules should be strictly enforced Shanghai, Secondly, no sound signals should be allowed clu roads and whenever It Is necessary to warn a pedestrian or another vehicle. Thirdly, any automobile driver, eign of Chinese, who should make' lure of an cleciric horn which is Jorbidden within the city or who should sound his horn during the night, [should be severely fined and his licence Withdrawn in case of repetition the offence.
(b) Bicycles—Should not be allow-Jed to use bells; bull horns should only bbe permitted.
Motorcycle riders constitute great nuisance when making use. of heir machines with "the mufflers opened and in contravention of existing regulations. 1 have "many times seen motorcyclists walling. for the green light, under the very nose of a policeman on duly making 0 home {0 be compared only to a ma-Jehine gun in' action. The police Jomicer did not even move an eyelash As far as warning signals are con-teemed the same rules should be plied as to motorcar drivers.
Radios:—They are, in summer, Jan abomination when unscrupulous People use them at full. blast with their windows opened and posier their neighbours at a distance sometimes of several blocks, The use of radio sets in such conditions should considered an offence, but as long} Jas shopkeepers are allowed to make Use' of those instruments of torture to: attract crowds in front of their shops it will be dimeuit to, deal with privated owners of radio sets until the authorities in Shanghai realize that te of affairs which s Incredible In'every. evilized ety should be towed here.
(a) Peddlars:—Itinerant peddlers Jare now in the habit of cruising the Tesidential districts, shouting at the top of their volees as early as IS welock™ inthe "morning "and to] contravention of the existing result From my window 1 can som pass one after the other, bawling and shouting: the policemen on Jduty look at them with an indifferent and blase countenance as they Jevery elreumstance in Shanghai. 1 motorcar driver has the misfortune at night with his tail light jer he is sure to get_a threatening. letter from the trafic authorities; but shouting peddlers and folly motorcyclists are allowed to be Veatuse of perpetual nuisance without Interferred with by anybody. some districts and quarters of Shanghai, [pecially In the French Concession, it has become a regular mania for some people to keep huge dogs who bark fncesontiy without cause or reason ig quite possible to own a dog an' to have it rained in such a manner fas not to be a cause of nuisance to the whole neighbourhood. As a mat-of fact and as everybody knows, "good dog does not bark, or at least the does so it is only in case of} Jemergency. In many cities abroad fogs are for allowed in apartment Inouses or in buildings such as terraces or semi-detached houses unless they are, as. called familiarly, lop] JAogs. "There should be some kind of Joo-operation between the landlords fand the local authorities to avoid the! Abuse of such a state of affairs. Ownfers of dogs which are a cause of fauisance to the neighbours can and should be sued before the competent Courts and fined severely each time 8 complaint supported by evidence is lodged: against them.
Factory Whistles.—No _factory should be allowed to use whistles ena hooters as. is unfortunately done in JSbanghal in the Chinese territory, close to the foreign settlements. 'The 'Authorities of the Greater Shanghai should be approached to that effect Aside from the fact that the shrieking of factories' whistles for several minutes og early as 5 o'clock in the tiaming isan" absurdity, it is also Jan outrage which is forbidden in ery country except in. Shanghai.
Rickshaws-—Whoever resides in the vicinity of the Canidrome and_ the Hat Alai knows what an. incredible state of affairs is existing in that istrict after midnight when people eave. these institutions. Hundreds fond hundreds of rickshaw coolies Invade the streets, block the trafic, shout and yell at the top of thei voices, charging from one side of the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.