Mar, 29.
The Shanghai Municipal Couneit at special meeting on Thursday. took under consideration the report of two cof ils members, Mr, G. E, Mitchell and Dr. R. J. Mehfulien, who had been, specially appointed to. review the rice situation in consultation the Counel's Supplies Committee neighbouring authorities.
the opinion of the Council the problem that has to be faced at the resent time is primarily a problem of (eansportation, There ts no short of rice stocks at the present time, but prices are high because of anxiety as to future supplies. Unless compelled 10 do 40, the Council does hot desire or Intend to interfere with established methods or channels of trade, but rather to act in. concert with and to relsiforee those establish. ed channels.
'The two members of Council previously' referred to, stated that all the evidence which had come before them had gone to show that the root cause of a fear "of shortage, and therefore of the high prices now ruling 1s due lo the existing dearth of ahtpping facilities. between Rangoon and Shanghai. There 1s reas believe that there will be a sufelont service of ships to bring from Saigon whatever rice is available for Shang: that from that source. Unfortunately, there is not, and under present world conditions is not likely to be, an ample and steady flow of tonnage {from Rangoon,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.