Unfounded fear of interference with supplies of rice arriving here from French Indo-China was given by an authoritative source yesterday as the reason for the recent increase in the price of imported rice which has caused some uneasiness in the market during the past few days.
All apprehension of a possible shortage in the cereal and an unparalleled increase in its price was set at rest more thin a fortnight ago at the meeting in the civic centre in Kiangwan of Mayor Fu Siao-en and representatives of the Settlement and French Concession to discuss the local rice situation.
Tt was reported that Mayor Fu was exerting his best efforts to find a solution to the rice problem. It was learned yesterday that the representatives of the Council and French Concession have written to the Mayor in this connection and are awaiting his reply.
The meeting was called by the Mayor who took the initiative to cope with the rice situation by adopting as a preliminary step. the calling of the meeting to ensure the concerted action of authorities of the three areas in Shanghai.
The representatives of the Council appointed to serve on the rice committee was headed by Sir Robert Calder Marshall with Messrs. W. Mellor and T. Beesley as the other two appointees. Three representatives were also appointed for the French Concession. The first meeting in the civic centre it is understood. augured well for the future as an atmosphere of the utmost cordiality and ce-operation pervaded the entire conference. 7
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.