To the Editor of the "Nowru-Cunwa Daly News"
Sm—I do not find that any voice has been raised to uphold a handful of musicians who wrote to your esteemed paper a few days ago, protesting, or rather asking consideration, of the fact that Municipal Symphony Orchestra musicians are allowed to hold other jobs besides that in the above-named orchestra.
Tt seems only fair that a person possession of a well-paid job which guarantees a substantial remuneration should not wilfully strive to prevent other unemployed musi-clans with any visible means of support. to hold less remunerative posi-tons.
Some business firms in Shanghai, 1am aware, include a clause in their contracts whereby their employees pledge not to participate in any business oF work in another concern.
It seems to me that such a clause should be enforced by the SMC. Felative to musicians working in their orchestra. It also seems incompatible that our symphony orchestra musicians who delight us with classical music on certain occasions, should be allowed to par ticipate in jazz or swing bands.
Perhaps most of us, or rather all of us, disregarded the letter previous: ly published, feeling that it did not concern us. When we stop to think, however, we will realize that these musicians who cre thrown out of work by competition from the Municipal. Symphony Orchestra,—work practically all night. week after week, the year round, for our sole amusement, we, who can enjoy their musie but' who cannot sympathise, or even raise a feeble voice to uphold their just cause.
The Jobs that the musicians of the Municipal Symphony Orchestra hold in night clubs, ete, are not very well paid. Well, you ask, why should) they strain themselves fo earn such meagre extra salaries? The truth of the matter, as it appears to me, that these extra salaries provide ther with extra luxuries which they couldn't otherwise afford.—'They provide them with extra luxuries, Snatching the bread (without the butter even) from the mouths of the ess fortunate. These holders of "double jobs" are not satisfied with! the bread upon their own table; no, they must yet take the crumbs from the poor man's table as well.
'Huaranrrantax' Not 4 Musician.
Shanghai, June 2, Refugee Problem:
Industrial Ca-operatives Advocated [To the Editor of the "Nonni-Cutna Darcy News"
Sim—In today's leader_on "Hong. kkong's Plight" you comment on the 750,000 refugees already in Hong kong and on the dangers of epidemies there adding that: "It seems a. brutal suggestion to make, but it {to be hoped that the authorities. will speedily close the frontiers and Prevent the further influx of fugees."
'Your suggestion is not so brutal' fas it is timely and intelligent, Every day refugees from Canton, "Amoy, Swatow and other coastal cities are flocking. into Hongkong, according' to your dispatch from Reuter, First it] Was Shanghai, then the deluging of Kulgansu at Amoy, and now the: population is migrating to Hongkong.
Now let us ask a few questions? Who are these people? Why don't they go in the opposite direction? What do they gain by sitting idle in Hongkong and. Shanghai' instead going into the interior and. sharing the fortunes of war with their own countrymen?
The answers are indicated by these facts: Most of these so-called refugees Mock to the treaty-ports not for refuge at all but for comfort. In Shanghai. there are about 1,000,000 "refugees" in the International Settle ment and French Concession but only some 80,000 have applied for Feliet in the Settlement and about the same number in the Concession. This means that most of these "refugees™ have the means to support themselves. Why then do they not move into the interior where living costs are one-tenth of the wartime prices of Hongkong and Shanghai Where "even we foreigners have dimeulty paying our bilis—and which Jare just as safe from bombing and much safer from epidemics?
Tt you will look into the matter: you will find-that many of the "re-Tugee" families - living in one-room accommodation in Shanghai are not poor but comparatively rich, Many fof these so-called "refugees" who have rushed into the treaty ports are among the wealthiest class of people in china. And they have simply [Squeezed out the poor tenants into the streets or refugee camps—the latter being Unable to pay the terri-fle increase in rents due to the arrival of the more prosperous. It is a fact that poor people cannot live in the treaty-ports today—they go home to their villages, or remain Japanese areas and" brave the dangers of wat. Only those with funds to support themselves not for weeks but for months can afford to hide in the foreign concessions, The result of the concentration of rich refugees is that every theatre, movie-house, roller-skating rink, Testaurant, " night-club and other place of amusement is so jammed that it looks like an arena for struggling sardines, An article in yesterday's "Evening Post and Mer Gury", entitled "Theatre Lights Agiow" points out that the Great World Amusement Resort "is today drawing crowds three times bigger than it did prior to the war."
Again. and. again the Chinese Government has asked these, rich [Chinese to come into the interior: and help rehabilitate their native country in its period of trouble, But no. The simple life does not appeal to them. They prefer to ride in motor cars through the streets of Shanghai.
These rich immigrants—not _refugees—are causing the greatest hardship to the legitimate residents of Shanghai and Hongkong, and are driving out the hard-working people who have built these cities brick by brick, and who should have the shelter of their hospitality in times of. trouble.
It is not cruelty to prevent these rich immigrants from migrating to the. treaty. ports in droves. It is kindness both to them and to the citizens of these cities, It is kindness to them because if they had to 0 back to their ancestral homes and defend the land of their forefathers, they" might recover a little self respect and do. something constructive, instead of being cowardly parasites on foreign protection and becoming degenerate from soft city life. Why it is Kindness to the resident-citizens is clear.
All of these immigrants with money can take care of themselves anywhere. The persons one need worry about from the humanitarian viewpoint are the true refugee elements of the population who have had jobs or farms and want to work, but who have been thrown out of employment by the war. These peo-pie have mostly gone into the interior. Already. About 350,000 have left Shanghai and been repatriated in the Kiangsu-Chekiang areas. And none of such productive people need exist on charity. Employment) can be found for them by merely providing loans for building up new Small industries. In order to ullilze the productive power of such people, the Ministry of Industries of the Hankow Government has already drawn up a plan for establishing agricultural and industrial co-opera tives in the interior.
This plan for ce-operatives should have the full ce-operation of the authorities of Shanghai and Hongkong asa method of productive relief, which will permanently solve the legitimate refugee problem of interior China and the treaty-ports, too. Any relief funds available should be put into these constructive ce-operatives immediately, so that not only the refugees may earn their living, but at the same time produce the essentials Of life so that others may bennet from The merchants and.businessmen of Shanghai and Hongkong, as well ax the League of Nations and all relief organizations should support this plan for industrial ce-operatives, because the only way to revive the market for their goods in the interior. Tt will revive village economic life and raise the purchasing power of the people, so that trade and commerce will flourish again, Where there is no production, there is only sterility, and the temporary, wartime prosperity of Shanghai and Hongkong cannot. last innless both industrial and agricultural production is revived in the interior So that people have something to exchange for what they buy. And ¢o-operative production is the only pos-Sibility of solving the huge refugee problem of China, The phenomenal Bevelopment of ce-operatives In ENg-and, Denmark, Sweden, Norway. Finland and. other such countries grew out of the disruption caused by the World War, when normal functioning of the economic organisms fof these countries was impossible, so mew forms of production had to' be treated The British Ca-operative Movement created the greatest single trading unit In the country, just as such a movement would in China Which desperately needs to purchase Supplies and machinery from abroad, Shanghai, May' 31.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.