The measures adopted by the municipal authorities to contra! the sale of sweets, iced drinks and foodstuffs in the streets of Shanghai will be received with general approval. Summer diseases caused uy the consumption of impure food and drinks nave long been a Shanghai problem owing to the almost impossible task of checking and inspecting the hawkers' stalls, but this year the problem is far greater. and demands far more drastic action. The hostilities have resulted of the compression into the relatively small area covered by the foreign. settlements an unusually large population, and it jean safely be said that a large proportion of them must on street hawkers and kitchens for their food. Some thoroughfares like Avenue Edward VII are simply one long line of street stalls, kitchens and cold drink and fruit purveyors, and while this state of emergency exists it is difficult to see how they can be properly regulated as regards the quality of their wares without the adoption of firm steps to check any breach of ordinary laws of hygiene. Over' the whole situation hovers the dread spectre of cholera and public support should not be withheld in enabling the authorities to enforce whatever measures they deem necessary to control the evil. The French authorities have announced a scheme of rigid control of the business. It is pointed out that foodstuffs are displayed in the open air and left exposed to contamination from flies, dust and germs and little protection is provided. Henceforth, all sweetmeats displayed for sale without adequate covering will be confiscated and no rinks may be manufactured without their being hermetically sealed until the moment of consumption. Sprinkling of food and fruits with unclean water to freshen them and the sale of eu: fruits are discouraged and offending hawkers will have their licences withdrawn. These are sound like elementary measures.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.