In referring to the expert manner in which the various kitchens are being operated, Sir Victor said that the kitchen at the Embankment Building, for instance, was known to have served anywhere between 600 and 1,300 tiffins a day without being given previous notice.
In speaking of the financial problem, Sir Victor said that all the work was being done on a monthly budget of $90,000, which amount is regularly received from London, New York and Egypt, whilst other contributions amount to anywhere between $5,000 and $10,000.
He also appealed for the. gift of a truck, stating that a considerable expense was being incurred each month for transportation.
"We could comfortably do with two trucks as a matter of fact, and would be very thankful if someone would make us a present of at least one," Sir Victor went on to say.
Asked as to the exact number of refugees at present in Shanghai, Sir Victor stated that 7,219 had registered with the committee so far, but that it was assumed that an additional 800 who have means of their own, have failed to register.
"With regard to business firms and Shops which have been financed through a special fund created for this purpose some months ago, Sir Victor said that about 200 persons had thus been able to go into business, giving work to about 500 additional refugees.
Applications Investigated for North Belfast, protested exclusion of Ulster humiliate W. J. Anstruther-Gray, Con-member for North Lanark-
"pul of opposition came from Conservative benches.—Reuter.
"The committee has carefully investigated all applications for loans prior to granting them and thus far, most of those who went into business are doing quite well, some having actually refunded the whole amount originally loaned, whilst all of them punctually pay back by small monthly instalments, knowing that we shall thus be /able to help others as we have helped them."
"These people," Sir Victor added, "are not a menace to long established business firms but, on the contrary, will help in furthering export trade whilst the standard of goods supplied to the customer will eventually rise considerably."
In quoting examples, Sir Victor stated that Chinese butchers, for instance, were already taking greater care in cutting up their meat, aware of she fact that their foreign competitors knew their job, whilst bakeries are also improving the quality of their products in view of competition from refugees.
"On the other hana," Sir Victor said, any of the firms thus established, make use of quite a considerable amount of Chinese labour end thus actually help in reducing
city.
unemployment problem of this Housing Problem flared yesterday ata Road rice Prompt action by uc from spreading, gines were required er, but these the endeavouring to escape from flames a 12-year-old girl reved serious burns, while two men were forced to jump for he lives, P When the firemen arrived almost immediately after the alarm—the "scene of the outbreak was close to Sinza Station—they found the whole building well alight, Extra pumps tehed from Central Sta-
In referring to the housing problem once more, Sir Victor stated that plans are at present being studied with regard to the advisability of constructing a camp on a site of 240 mow which has been made available on the Sang Sing property in Yang-Izepoo.
Asked whether the committee had any power to stop peddlers from becoming a nuisance, Sir Victor stated that this was not the case, but that these people had usually arrived here with a small amount of money with which they started their trade. When it was pointed Out that these people actually sold things for much more than they were worth, Sir Victor quoted another example, where an 18 year-old youth had come to a local business man to sell him a bottle of cheap perfume for $2. The busi-messman did not want the perfume and gave the youth $2, telling him to take his perfume.
"Are you fond of music?" the youth asked, and when told that.|his would-be customer was, he sang jan aria from "Tosca." Just before leaving, the singer added: "I couldn't.|sell you perfume so I sold you music."
Sir Victor then made an appeal to the Japanese authorities, voicing the sincere hope that they would put one or more buildings at present being occupied for military purposes, at the disposal of the committee, when they did not require them any more.
"We must find roofs over the heads of new-arrivals and I hope that Shanghai as a whole, will assist us in this gigantic task." the injured to hospital and pouring thousands of gallons water into the blaze, ft was check-with 32 minutes from the time the call, the fire having been confined only to the godown.
Firemen remained on the scene for some time afterwards as.smouldering rice and other goods Still constituted a danger. It was during the damping down process that the bodies of the two Chinese children were discovered.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.