Ford will leave Shanghai on the retirement of the former from the position of Treasurer and Controller to the Shanghai Municipal Council. Major Ford became head of the Finance department in 1924 when his predecessor was seconded for certain special duties, and it was not until 1928 that he officially became head of the Department He entered the service of the Municipal Council in 1908, so that he has seen approximately thirty years work for the municipality, during which time, and especially in later years he has carried out several intricate and important negotiations on behalf of the Council, and has been responsible for the financial administration of the International Settlement in a manner which hes consistently earned the greatest possible esteem, There have been times when he has been humorously accused of producing much wanted rabbits out of the council's financial hat, and the manner in which he managed to overcome some of the difficulties did at times seem to border on the miraculous. Of the value of his services to the community there cannot be the sughest possible doubt, and there are those who knowing his work, and his capability will realize what an excellent servant to the Municipal Council Major Ford has been. An interesting comparison, showing the manner in which the work of the Treasurer and Controller has grown during Major Ford's service with the Council, is to be found in the chairman's speech at the last annual meeting of ratepayers. In 1929, when he officially assumed office the budget of income and expenditure, ordinary and extraordinary amounted to $38,060,000. The corresponding figure for this year is no less a sum than $82,500,000, and the fact that he has been able to cope with the astonishing changes during the past ten years is adequate tribute to the capacity of the man Shanghai is losing. Both he and Mrs. Ford will receive the best wishes of the community for a long and happy retirement, and possibly the hope that one of these days they will seize the opportunity of revisiting the port which owes such a great deal to his ability.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.