Informed Chinese elreles_ believe that the law of cause and effect docs not apply clearly in the rice. market respect to price increase it being asserted that high prices quoted producing eantres sometimes do. not count milch in fixing prices in Shang hale for once. when merchants. produelng.disteiets know that pro-Aleers in: Shanghal_are selling their fargo. ota high price they algo in-fre age their pres thus resulting la final-round" price-Increasing cam Talgn even in occupied areas where people may obtain. the grain with Fomparative ease. It is pointed out that big. profiteers sometimes send men to" the market buying. all ree they con obtain at a price so artie fejaily Increased that. small. sellers Isually fall into heir tap and leav~ Ing lide vice for tie -hongs and ater legitimate buyers.
The wrong assertion, in foremen circles that to" have highly-priced flee Is better than to have none Said to have -also affected the. price Situation by. encouraging profiteers. And. the third cause of the increase of price Js_ that. realising that the Vande of the dollar Is decreasing. the boarders would Ike to part with their fash in exchange for" rice with the fesunt that the harder people can buy foreign exchange, the higher the price fi rie Goce Foreign firms, Mtlute the fourth cause of the price obtaining supplies are said to con
"fron ecnaie they oe algo jove given dificult terms to. those who place orders. They do not run any risk, but would receive half of the price rooney before the earzo S.M.C. Discuss Rice Situation Shanghai; Mar. 20.
Measures for alleviating the lot of the Chinese population dependent on rice for their subsistence owing to the critical rice situation were dis cussed at a full meeting yesterday fatternoon of the Shanghai Municipal Council. communique issued after, the meeting stated: 'The Rice Problem was discussed in Council yesterday afternoon and the need for positive and early measures to improve the situation' was unanimously agreed upon.
The Council has considered reports and Fecommendations of its Supplies Committee and also a communication which that Committee had received from the local Rice Price Fixing Committes. Before, however, embarking upon a now course of 'action In which the Interest of neighbour. ing authorities {s involved and where their cooperation will be needed, members of Council felt it necessary to re-examine for themselves the potential far-reaching effects of many suggestions under consideration. This re-examination is being conducted by two of their number and an early eeision by the Couneit may be ex-ceted.
Constantly rising levels of rice prices are the subject of keen public criticism and the Council is much influenced by public feelings expressed on this subject but it must be appreciated that the roots of the prob-Tem lio in transportation from producing centres, the maintenance of adequate stocks in Shanghali and their, distribution "and constant cir ulation through channel legitimately engaged in the rice trade. The experience and goodwill of genuine traders is essential to any solution of this problem and it may be anticipated that the Council will join its forees to theirs to eradicate abuses, to restore stability to the rice market, and ensure adequate supplies at a reasonable price,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.