The chairman of the Western (Extra-
Settlement) Association was severely critical of the conditions which now prevail in the [area represented by the body over which he ppésides, and it is impossible to deny that his strictures are in every way justified.
Describing the area bounded by 1 of the International Settlement to the rail-and from Rockhill Avenue to Soochow man's land, the chairman on to remind his hearers that though inside that part of Shanghai which is de m by foreign troops, it lacks any cen! control; it is without a definite gover and, "worst of all it has no voice, no vote (though it pays rates to the Municipal Council of the Foreign Settlement), no means of remedying existing abuses, and no corporate bod sent its to the tax ho are certainly und very definite al obligation to maint as a healthy biding, and livable area."
That is a very fair estimate of t situation with regard to the Western district outside the ies, and the only kind thing that can be said about it is that this unfortunate si e of affairs just h ed. It s net been brought about policy on the part of any of t m ations of Shanghai, but from the unprecedented state of which has prevailed in t t s local last twenty months. The del in completely reopening the north of Shangha w and the reluctance of man. m to those districts present conditions, led many of th could of their money is to empl industries the revival c vhich ug testimony te the vitality Flimsy structures of the port Ito house these industries speedily went while a large matshed-dwel quickly settled in the area adequate legal means of o! necessary control over the situ for while the Municipal Council exercised jurisdiction over the roads, the hinterlands they served were under the control of the Chine se,.in this ins Ta Tao Ge ment.
It is somekh t of an anams trict within the defence sect be under the administration of t Council, but that arises fron urely stret operated in thei factors choice of the Railway as the most ssu line for the defence of Shanghai against out have been a ce sel of perfection i International horities of the early days of this area under thei would have indicat session on the part of the authorities of a degree of vision which seems to have been denied them. But ex post facto wisdom is always the easiest to acquire, and looking back upon those days it is easy to understand how what now seems to have been a very obvious step to have taken was overlooked. It is, nevertheless, not easy toj disregard the contention of the chairman of! the Association that the Municipal auth ies are under some sort of moral oblig to do everything in their power to alleviate the lot of those for whom he was spee!
The argument may ronger be made e by the contention that not only is there a neral obligation, but also a material or view of the fact that those paying not receiving what they entitled to expect. The slight difference be the rates paid in the Settlem: by householders along the outside not so great as to suggest that all fact p: ying for is merely the upkeep and|* policing of those thoroughfares, for the difference of two per cent. between the two cannot cover the cost of the additional ser-E rendered to those living inside the boundaries. There is consequently every justification for the belief that these payers are not in fact receiving value money and that every avenue should be carefully explored to see what tional satisfaction can be given them. Th ances are very real and urgently require 1. alleviation.
That is not to be taken as any unnecessary criticism of the Municipal Council. Things ug as they are it has to be admitted ti that body has done a lot towards eficcting improvement. What else it can do by itself in the circumstances it is not easy to s The suggested cutting of public services cannot be supported. To refuse to supply water to the offending areas would only tend io make matters worse, and create unhealthy
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.