and the Shanghai "Teleohone Come The Shanghai Municipal Council pany some sympathy in the joint problem of handling the issue the proposed alteration in the telephone tariff. Normally the public would not be aware of the details of such a proposal until it had reached the stage of consideration by the Council." The Company's application has had to be dealt with by. the Public Utilities and the Finance Committees. "But, owing to tne interest taken in the subject, the Council agreed to publication of a summary ihe tpplention, this "nscesarliy fan incomplete story for until the Controller had: fully reported, the exact character of the proposals could not be usefully revealed or discussed, This journal has all. along. reserved comment on the financial aspect of the application for that Fenson, It has contented itself with a qualified approval of the undoubtedly more efficient "message rate" system. It has reminded the public that the ancial side of the question requires consideration in the light of more precise information regarding the Company's relations with the parent! Company in the United States of America, On that point it may be conjectured that the Council's atten tion may be rivetted, especially in view of the obvious perturbation aroused by telephone subscribers who, after study of the Company's announce: ments, find that their monthly bills are likely to be enormously increased, The Counc will be well-advised to proceed cautiously in the whole matter for, as has been pointed out, it must vindicate its own position as custodian of the rate-pay terests. The list of nominations of the Shanghai Municipal Council involves fan election in which eleven candidates will contend for nine seats. Company's much discussed petition.
might be well for those who are anxious that the Council should pay atriet regard to the public interest in that matter, to endeavour to obtain from aspirants to election a definite assurance that the fullest possible publicity will be given to the decisions Proposed and, if desirable, that an Independent audit should be applied {0 the figures on which the Counel's reply is ultimately based.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.