Mr. de Ruffe's Views To the Editor of the Nonril-Cuina Dairy News"
Si—Many people have noted—with satisfaction—that, at last, something is being attempted by the, Settlement authorities to put a stop the infernal trame noise. in this elly. "May The allowed to say that the new regulations which have been suggested or adopted. by the said authorities are precisely those which, the Shanghai Foreign Residents Asto-lation proposed some time ago and Which were greeted In your' paper with sarcasm." I note also that you fare still in the same vein of humour When in to-day's Issue of your esteemed paper" you indulge in a lille more irony when you comment about the suggestion to enforce the exclusive use of bulb horns. during the night, Your contention that bulb horns ut of date and would be stolen, is without foundation as the same rule applies now In. many" cities Europe." The risk of bulb horns being stolen is negligible. If such is the case, why Is every bicycle in this town fied only with the said kind of signal? Is there such a tremendous market for second-hand' bulbs? What about radiator te, which can be at easly romer rubber bulbs and which are me nitoly more valuable?
May T also point out to you that bulb horns are not 'Atted, as, some members of the SiM.C. and yourself wrongly believe, on the outside part fof the car. In' all closed cars—and cally all cars are now closed they are fitted Inside. the car and much more out of reach of a pedestrian than' a radiator cap, for Instance, Finally the reason why in tnany cities bulb horns are prescribed In-load of electeie signals is horn ig ininitly "eas erve-recking (a) The sound produced by a bulb
{han the"one emanating rom benton of an electric horn, the sound keeping one's riger on the
produced "can last "for minutes, fhhereas the eonnd' of a Bul"horn It is understood that an abuse of _nwthe buf horn can be committed as well as with an electric one; but the chances are considerably less and, in such cases, the offender should' be punished, Ths to be regretted that suggestion No, 8 made by. the Assistant Commissioner regarding the interdiction of using electric horns during the night, was not adopted forthwith, Such'a rule ly now enforced In every civilized city. Tt is realized that Shanghai is a tittle more difeult to deal with than cities where the population is more disciplined; but there no reason why such a rule should not be enforced, at least in the residential districts "who: pam. the number of pet practically nil. Sooner or later, such 'a rule will have to be enforced: 1f £0, why walt?
Finally, as, the Commitiee of the tions 1s absurdly low in comparison. with every other city. Until. the, number of such policemen" is increased, new regulations will be of Ultle effect. What is the usm of promulgating laws, regulations, et it there 1s nobody fo see that they are respected?
Regarding the particular aspect of the problem, why not allow members the special police to stop trafic offenders and warn them of report them, when necessary? I have been told by several members of this force that they would be very willing 10 assist, They would not have to wear their uniform and a badge of come' kind would be enough to entitle them give their very needed help. May Tadd that in many foreign counte! traMe officers are in elvillan cloth and T had the pleasure—so.to speak be warned, when abroad, on more than one occasion by traffe officers who wore not in uniform. Such a suggestion has at least one advantage: it would not cost anything except the supply of a few dozen badges and 1 am certain that there re here many citizens who would be willing to help the Police in maintaining order in this pandemonium of the East, @'Avxi0N DE RUFFE, Shanghai, Sept. 19.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.