Yalks of "Ticket": Sir John Brenan Asks for Effective Assertion The question of adopting a definite British ticket. at Municipal elections was the subject of some discussion at the annual general meeting of the China Association on Tuesday, April 16, The subject: was raised by the chairman, Mr.
Massey, who said he. hoped the meeting would agree that not only was it'well within the scope of the committee to recommend a. definite ticket, but also that it was the committee's duly to do so, Now was the time for members to put forward their ideas as to the policy they would like the committes to follow in the future. would like their committee to follow should a similar situation arise In the fulure. Whoever you elect on your committee for the coming year would like to have an expression of opinion on the principle involved. There is just one point T would like to emphasize and that is that to stigmatize the action taken as an attempt to dictate to British voters what they should do is an absurd exaggeration. You have representatives associations, those associations elect a committee to form policies and take action In accordance therewith and if they do not do so they would be false to their trust.
There being some discussion, Sir John Brenan, at the invitation of the chairman, delivered a short. speech,, which he Impressed on the Associ tion the need for effective assertion of the Brilish electorate's vote municipal affairs. Sir John pointed out that the International Settlement took its origin from British enterprise and British co-operation. The community should see that by. no inaction on their" part were their legitimate interests in Shanghat ignored.
Mr. R. E, Coxon said he was not enthusiastic over the ticket system, which, he thought, only ted to apathy on the part of voters and Ultimately would lead to no election at all' In his opinion, the more cand-dates the greater the increase in the interest of the election.
In reply to Mr. Coxon, Mr. Massey said a Ucket election might not al-wave be necessary and it was only owing to cireum~
We British are always averse to being what may be described as driven but surely the resentment at the committee's action, where felt, is due (0 a super-sensitiveness. Your committee were in the petition of having access to a little more knowledge than was possessef by all voters and they therefore thought it_ was incumbent on them to tender advice based on a realization of all the circumstances, That is really all thal it amounted to in regard to the choice of candidates and as regards the appeal to voters to excereise their fran. chiso—and, speaking nationally, the neglect todo so is fraught with dangerous or, at any rate, undesirable possibilities—T amir and hope the Jmeeting will to-day agree, that It was: not only well within the proper scope of your Committee to do this. but that it was their bounden duty.
Whilst we ace on this Subject 1 would like to take the opportunity of exhorting all British Ratepayers to attend the Ratepayers Meeting tomorrow. There are several extra re-of Exports Dr. Chatley said he thought the Association—should concentrate actively on exports more than pons, as at the present time there was a very dangerous situation developing. Great Britain, at the moment, had a favourable balance with China, actually, it should be an adverse balance to cover repayment of past credit. At the very he thought there should be a balance of Imports and exports, and this meant en increase of exports, otherwise he foresaw that "Great Britain would get tired of lending money to China, in the form of send-Ing out goods and getting nothing for them in return. Exportable goods to China from Great Britain each year amounted to some £5,000,000 and previously was £10,000,000.
The following were re-elected on the committee:—Mr. P. W. Massey, chairman, Mr. H. G. W. Woodhead, vice-chairman; Me. Ht. Lipson Ward, and Mr. E, 8, Wilkinson
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.