To the Baltor of the "Nowra-Cumea Dany News"
Sin-—Under the above heading a very Interesting letter appeared. in your columns on Wednesday from Mu. Jouw S. Bana, and the views ex~ Dressed will undoubtedly command considerable "measure of agreement and sympathy. 'There is undoubtedly 8 need fo arouse civie Interest. on the: Part of the electors and although, this is easier to tale about than to. ut into practice nevertheless every: Dossible step should be taken to accomplish it and there are two' practi. cal suggestions which I have to make, We all know that it Is almegt im: possible to alter Land. Regulations Jand that with the number of foreign members on, the Council limited to nine, itis diMeult for all Interests Jor for all nationalities to be. repre jsenied, 'Tt seems. to me however fusat there is no reason. whatever why we should not get over this Aimeulty by appointing' a considerably larger" number of members to the' Council's committees.
think it is safe to say that no mater receives the final" consider= ation of the Council until It has been referred tothe "appropriate committee and the Land Regulations [impose no restriction as to member= [ship of committees, At present certain committees contain a considerable number of non-Council members, for example:—The Public Health Committee, 'The Education Board, "The 'Trams. Comrmitlee, and The Orchestra and Band JCommittee. But there ate. ollier committees, namely. The Finance Commitice, 'The Public Works Committee, The Public 'Uuiliies Com-/mitige' and The Watch Committes which are almost catirely composed Jof Council "members and which, think, could with advantage be en-Targed to include residents who have displayed an interest In Municipal matters.
No one wants to see committees s0 large a3 {0 be unwieldy but in my opinion, committees where the attendance is four or five or even six fers and they should with advantage be increased to say ten in number. [This would give an opportunity for leading citizens of nations al present unrepresented on the Council to take some part in the affairs of the elly.
Not only would this suggestion adopted enable a much larger number of citizens than at present to take an active part in Municipal affairs but it would also be good training for future Couneillorship. It has often been said that a new Councillor not much uso during his first year, Dut if he had had previous experienc as a member. of one of the Council's committees, such a statement would not apply.
The second suggestion 1 have to make is that "minutes" of Council meetings should "be published more fully and earlier than is the ease at resent. The motto of the Prest is necessarily "News while it is news" and If a Council meeting takes place fon Wednesday' evening it should least be possible for minutes of such meeting to be published on "the Friday morning following.
'At present the instructions of the ralopayers are that the minutes of Couneit meetings shall be published excluding' only such matiers asthe chairman shall decide ought not the made public. Tt might also be of advantage to publish the minutes of the meetings of the Council's committees. This would give the Coumelt fan opportunity of sensing the opinion of the public on recommendations of committees before they are tually considered by the Council 1 fully realize that minutes of some committees cannot be published and that discretion must be used, but 1 nevertheless feel that a great deal more publicity cou! be given and Biven earlier than' isthe case. present.
Tnereased publicity and increased participation in municipal adminis-{ration should' certainly result "in reater interest being taken in civie affairs, and after all, in striving to Overcome the alleged apathy' of volers it is just as important to have an intelligent and enlightened vote to have a large one.
Shanghai, Feb, 20, OF. Hasms, Election Committee's Scheme To the Editor of the "Norn-Caixa Datty News"
Six—From, correspondence which has recently appeared in the Press would appear that there is still a certain amount of misunderstanding, regarding the. British Election Comtilice and Its objects, On Oclober 18. last a joint meeting of the Committees "of the British Chamber of Commerce, China Association "and British Residents Association was held. at which the importance of maintaining the present Buitish. mumerieal representation on ihe. Council snd the normal. apathy fof the British voter in the past were Stressed. "After considerable dis= cussion it was decided to appoint Sub-Committee to consist' of six Trembers two: to be "appointed by teach of the above Committees. The following were thereupon appointed: Messrs. "G. A, Haley of Imperial Chemical "Tdustries_ (China) Ltd, Wad. Hawkings of G: E, Marden Ca. ltd, W. 8. King' of "Harrisons King and Irwin Lid, G.E, Mitchell fof Messrs, Butterfield de Swire, HW. Wilkinson, "280, of Mackinnon Mackenzie & Cor Ltd. and the under signed. Mr. Mitchell" resigned. when hho decided to stand for election and Mr.J. Re Masson of Messrs. Butlor= field. &Swire was appointed in his place, "The Joint. Committees "also Approved" tie appointment of "an Biection Agent.
'AL the first meeting of the above Sub-Committee (wow known. 93. the British Election Committee) held on October 25th he. We S. Kingy at resent unfortunately indisposed, was lected "Chairman, and at the next meeting "held on "November lat It-Col. F. Hayley Bell, b0., was appointed Election Agent, "Phe object at which the British Election Committee alms Is to slimilate the interest of Brilish Voters In the forthcoming Munlelpal Election ha orate the, maxima ating power is excrelsed hoping tha The ultimate result wil be the cleetion on March 23nd and 24th of five British representatives on the Coun: is only possible in a totter of this nature (0 detail very, briefly a few of the activities of this Com: mittee and "the. Election Agent. Numerous oculars have boon sent out to all Brilsh. Ratepayers—tists fof Ratepayers have Boon compiled by Steeets, selling out the names. and addresses. of ratepayers-In every Street of the SelWement—eanvasser teach being responsible for 15 10.20 ratepayers, have been appointed Siraw. vote has been organized. Perhaps r should say 9 few words about thie last matter. It ts obviously very Important to avoid a spilt vote and the Committee decided that the only way of attaining this. object. was 10 have 'a Straw vote with an under standing on the. part of {he candl= fates: that provided the. pol on the straw vote was a representative one fonly" the five' successful candidates Would stand for the actual election thus endeavouring. 10. ascertal before the actual election the choice lof the majority of British voters the Commitico is adopting procedure which Is followed rogilarly with sues Jets. by" another. national community in" Shanghai. The Conimittee was also in sympathy with the view which hasbeen frequently, expressed" that the choice. of candidates, should. be Jon the widest possible bast. Act feuiar was therefore sent out to every British Ratepayer asking for nominas tions of candidates. and selling. out the names. of seven candidates, who haa "aiveady. signified. to. the Committee that they were proposing to land. for" lection. As "a. result this cireutar three additional. names were submitted making ten candidates nail and the strave vote will take lace the coming week, The Committee most earnestly ase all British Ratepayers to. rolurn their Ballot Papers duly completed as fail-lure to do so will to a largo extent Fender abortive all the efforts which have been made up to date on behalf of British interests in Shanghai.
Ju the opinion of the Committee dividual complaints against the Cout oils of the past should be forgotten in the greater importance of British Fepresentation on the Councils of the future.
BIN, Reape Hanns, Vice-Chairmain British Election Commitee, Shanghai, Feb. 21.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.