The twelfth edition of "The China Architects and Builders Compendium"—appearing after an Interval of two. years—makes a. cheerful. reference to the signs of Shanghai's recovery from the disastrous stagnation of 1935 and 1030, Although -building activity ig still below what might be regarded og normal for-a city of this, size, the Compendium discerns undoubted signs of improvement, and with the eneral recovery of trade, many business concerns are looking up" the plans" of enlargements and redevelopment which they had shelved dur~ {ng the Tean years, and deciding whether the imo has now come to. put their schemes into Drawing attention to the importance of the housing problem os expounded in the report of the Shanghai Municipal Council's special Gommitte of inquiry, the Compendium fears no improvement is to be expected until satisfactory solution is found for fenants.from unjust demands the protection of those wishing. to provide money for building On: the report itself an opportunity is seen for architects and property owners to get together and. produce new and revolutionary. designs 0° Chinese housing secommodation, These views naturally deal with 9 particularist aspect of the problem, but they have a real value for all that, Experience has shown the path of housing reform has been frequently smoothed by enlisting the sympathy and enthusiasm of architects and builders even though their inter ests incline them to reservations on some of the basic economic issues involved.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.