Editor of the Nonni-Cuixa Dany News"
Sin—Last summer the N.C.DN., bad 4 few editorials on the matter of Tocal civic affairs. In one entitled "Shanghai's Future," the opening sentcence Was: site of the misdirection of eer tain "Criticisms "tevelied Administration' of the. Seillement's fora and the policy of the Shar eeognize that there ts real ground for lssalsfaction. one entitled "A Civie Spirit" you wrote; 'A reasonable amount of xefutaton would be aehteved by cultivation of a civie spirit engender faith. In' Shanghais mission In one entitled "Practical Polite," there were these two sences need for leader~ sip. "There oise 'a need forte present nomninat leaders to come down from hich horses and get to trips With the" rear feelings of the community I heartily endorse the above. There ground for dissatisfaction: there is need {0 develop a civic. spilt; the Council and the present Yeaders are el doing all they should be doin, Some of us would Ike to see. the Council thinking about reform and planning for the future, One method tthe Council might use to stimulate the interest of the ratepayers Is to appoint a committee (formal or In= formal) to look into the question of Administrative reforms-those possible now and those to come Tater. 1 be-Hieve that last summer the N.CD.N, was inclined to favour the idea that we groups might be set up, one 10 study. what reforms. cane accom= plished under existing regulations and tone to study reforms of the future. Now that Is what many of us would ko 0 see done, Instead we feet that the Counelt and our leaders dislike criticism: they are mainly concerned with sitting on the Tid and maintain Ing things of they are: but In ten years Lime some of these mon may have re-trea from Shanghai.
7 live and work In the Settlement; 1 am a British ratepayer: 1 take an In= torest in civie affairs because Tam affected by them, e.g, T have no motorcar so T need transportation frelitis:
east my vote last year and intend {o east It this year: T have rejoined the BRA my leaders have asked help and Tam going to give it. What more can Ido? On the other hand, What do my leaders do for me? Last Winter I asked the Secretary of the BRA, it they would do something about local Civie offales and he replied that it was not the policy of the BRA. fo touch local civie affairs, In ether words, the lenders ask me to cast my vole for a list neo a year: the ratepayer fs not asked to do anything else Dut they" will not directly. help my welfare as affected by local affairs.
Frankly T would ike to "see the Couneltiors take more active interest the welfare of the man in the street, seems to some of us that aft Councitiors are elected—by the help the ratepayer—the Councillors wish {0 disregard the existence of the Falepayer. Cannot they maintain more. contact with their constituency? As: ur. has written, the dice ate loaded against the small man. Tt a small man were elected he would stilt have think of the Interests of his Ployet, and not," suggest anything contra' thereto, Five days only were sivan to the ratepayer for nominating fresh names, "TP the taipans. really want a nomines of the small man. {et them nominate one and with their strong support he might stand a chance, "Axtiearamny was Fight when he deciared that the Couneit's work not judged by reports but by. the Aelual work produced by the Counci, cag. Ye viekshaw reform. In a good totter "in the "Shanghai Times" January 4, a correspondent wrote:— thave In this Settlement who, y'lvartte. of hele position. with wested Intereste, claim the {to be regarded as' leaders and control "the destiny of thie munity if they were of the stuff fon Mehieh rear leaders. were. made onl they' be eased to beat avent ly. of "the people? Never! They would soon see to it that apathy way! fo an enlightened interest welt directed alfa of heh 'a change" would involve mans lither ehsnges which would not Weeleeme In certain quarters "An fditoriat comment earlier this year ald; What ie fundamentally wrong absence ut 4ntéligent fet between! the Covnell, once ted, and the ratepayers who responsibility Institution ts only fostered by the tnteligent participa. ton of alt connected with it. and it inevitable that when an electorate denied cognizance of the doings of the elected, ten apathy feeds ignorance and' grows In disinterested: ness. "The Council has its own remedy Tie welt only apply it But there not much "hope of that happening. Tet "us. have tess chining' about pathy, more intelligent leadership shall cast my vote this year, and urge others to do s0, but 1 hope that
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.