One of the first fruits of the modus vivendi signed between the Shanghai Municipal Council and the Shanghai Special Municipality on Friday,, concerning the policing rights of the western outside roads areas, was the announcement of an order issued to some 30 small and large gambling houses in that district in compliance with which, they will have to close up shop by the end of this month. According to the same source, the owners of these dens have applied for a six-months' extension of the closing time on the grounds that 1,500 employees would be thrown out of work. From reliable information available, it is apparent that this appeal will be ignored and rightly so. It must not be forgotten that these 1,500 employees had m xamony op other professions prior to the opening of these gambling establishments some 18 months ago and that in any case they must have earned enough during this period to be able to last out until another occupation, less lucrative perhaps but more honourable, will turn up. It is reasonable to assume that the abolition of these establishments will also bring about a marked decrease in the number of armed thugs who have found in them havens of refuge. It is only to be hoped that the modus vivendi will bring about further reformations in a district in which for the past year.and a half crime was trump, and law and order something that was unknown.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.