That there should be complaints about tramways when they are running is only natural, for when everything else fails they are a constant source of activity to the conscientious member of society who believes in his own views and would help the.world along. But complaints before trams have even started their job are out of the ordinary, Yet this is the case in Peking, and they appear to be justified. While as yet the system was only under discussion lovers of the zsthetic in the capital did not conceal the fact that they deplored their coming, for in the midst of all the associations of the city they would be incongruous. The fears thus expressed seem to have been only too well grounded, for although the track is only now in process of being laid already one pailou has had to be demolished to allow the work to proceed. It is not possible for us to identify the particular monument which has thus gone; actually it may not have been an object of any particular merit; but there is a fear that others may likewise go in the same way. The feeling of at least a section of the residents is given by Fairplay" in a letter to the ''Peking Leader" in which he urges that every suggestion to destroy a pai low or other monument should be fought tooth and nail. He concludes his appeal in the following interesting fashion To have a tramway at all in the historic city is bad enough but to have one that has so little regard for the beauty of the city as to suggest the spoiling of ancient monuments to suit its track, is a calamity that merits the strongest measures being taken to combat it.
Tramways in Asia with the single exception of that in Hongkong are hideous enough of themselves without seeking to destroy beautiful things, and it is sincerely to be hoped that Peking's Municipality will see that the tramways make themselves suit Peking rather than Peking suit the tramways.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.