Shanghai, Apr. 18, EVER before has Shanghai seen such a crowd of foreigners as that which gathered at the annual meeting of ratepayers' of the International Settlement, held yesterday afternoon, Not only was the attendance a record one in Shanghai's istory—14,871 votes were represented as against 3,941 last year—but for the first time since these meetings were started, an open air venue was provided, at the Shanghai Race Club, where an enlarged publi stand was filled to an overflowing point by ratepayers, packed, for over two and a half hours, like sar es in serried rows.
From a coign of vantage in front of the stand as dusk fell towards the close of the meeting, a sea of white faces, looking intently forward, stood predominantly aloof from the dark background of the stand.
Strong guards of police, standing at arm's length from Bubbling Well Road to positions well past the stand, the crying down of speakers by hand-clapping and catcalls by an audience suffering from the effects of cold and rain, and the admonition of Mr, Ranald McDonald for @ personal remark directed at Mr. G. E. Marden, were some features of a meeting that will long be remembered.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.