While the passage of last' week-end! typhoon away from Shanghai saved it from another inundation, it is not to be assumed hat the city has seen the last of this year's floods, though recurrence becomes increasingly unlikely as the days pass. Nevertheless, during the last two months more in-{erest has been demonstrated over the question of these repeated inundations, and there growing demand that. the authorities controlling the.areas concerned should get busy upon investigations designed to cover 'a cure, Inhabitants of the areas around Kiaochow Road, Vu. Yuen Road, 'Avenue "clu Hol' Albert and the viein= ly" of the Cercle Sportif' Francais, "who have' suffered serious inconvenience for days on end since the beginning of duly, are firm in their demand that something should be done to remedy a state of affairs which Becomes more Intolerable as the years pass. Itis not enough to state that this years rain tall is: phenomenal, This is admitted, but What ihe sufferers will not admit is' that Rothing can be done to better conditions, that; even if it is to prove costly, it is not something which Shanghai should not be expected to do.
It is admitted that undue and uncontrolled Interference with the natural drainage system of Shanghai and its environs is wholly responsible for what happens. That admission suggests that it, should be within the scope of the authorities administering "the foreign areas and those concerned with the government of the surrounding districts to Cooperate in an endeavour to find a solution of this very grave problem. Such a solution must be found, It is all very well to expect residents to pay rates which have been increased substantially, but, if one of these years the residents of the areas concerned refuse to do so when deprived of the lawful enjoyment of their property by failure of the administration to provide them with the ramage they have every right to expect, no. one need in the least be surprised. Adequate drainage is one of the Ast things people living. ina modern city require, and they do not get it, they have every reason to register their protest in whatever way seems most suitable to them.
It is to be hoped, however, that no such state of affairs will come about. A survey of developments in the tern area, which Bri together with the filing-in of the Siccawei Creek are hela responsible for these summer visitations, suggests that' it will never be possible to restore former conditions Which opt flooding toa minimum. "If. that could be done it would be better than Hothing, but the. complications which would now aitena any such scheme seem to render it unfeasible. thas been contended, with what justineation remains: to be seen, that Shanghial presents more difficult, problem in connection with the drainage -of surface water than any other low-lying city in the world. From an engineering point of view, there seems much to support that opinion," and it is. known that it is held in some quarters. The conclusion to be drawn is that the time has come when in expert or experts should be Invited 0 come to Shanghai, make a survey and prepare plans against happier times when it may be possible to proceed with the work of rectification, If it is impossible to proceed at once with general scheme it should be possible to lay one down, and get to work within its limits in preventing the inundation of the most seriously affected areas, There may be technical diMleuities in adopting such a programme. "If there are, the public is anxious fo know. It Is not satisfied to be told that nothing can be done except at a prohibitive cost, The institution of the administration of the International Settlement by means of 2 commission deprives the ratepayers of the only means of making' their opinions felt,—hamely the' annual meeting. of ratepayers and itis urged upon the municipal authorities {hat 9 more attentive. and considerate ear Should be turned to the complaints of those thousands of people who every summer are condemned to considerable inconvenience and Very substantial loss.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.