'A Suggested Change To the Ealtor of the "Normi-Cuiya Dany New Sm—The increase in school fees announced by' the Council was, doubt, just a3 inevitable as so many Of the other increases that have been Imposed: upon us in recent months.
"That. the Shanghai public, at least the articulate section, takes' these increases in a sporting spirit should not blind us to the fact that, amongst the less articulate, there is a growing conviction that the best {s not being made -of the increased funds des manded, and. granted, if It be true that te Bus Company being defrauded of considerable Fevenue by' the dishonesty of some of its conductors, and, from personal Observation, 1 believe It to be only foo" true," then the Council, fuardlan'of the public's interests, Should have declined to consent. to any. increase in fares until it wat convincingly shown that the. then income represented the. utmost. that could be gained out of the service fat the ola' rates. This applies to, all he other public ullites equally. 'The Council should. not call upon the Public to make good deficits resulting from inefficient. management, or. be a party to endowing" Incompeteney, at The expense of the public, 'At the present time' the school situation here is one that calls for the attention of the Council for, it would appear, changes are due, "of other overdue, which if put into effect should result in very consider ble economy in the Educational Department, Before the Sino-Japanese clash the Counc had two schools over. Hongkew, the Public de hes. Hanbury School for Boys and the other, of the same name, for girls. The buildings In. Hongkew then occupied ave been sold or leased, I" under stand, to the Japanese.
As a result we have now four Pub-lie Schools, two for boys and two for tirls operating under. the Council in greatly reduced area and actually covering substantially the same We have also "the two Cathedral Schools which though not—Counelt Schools, must be taken into consideration when the educational facilities required by, and offered to the foreign communities are under review.
Surely, Sir, there is no need for three schools' for girls and three for boys, offering the same courses, In this Settlement at the present time 'A complete revision of the Couns cil's school policy is called for if the Lest results are to be obtained economieally and educationally.
The former Honzkew schools, 4 it really necessary to keep them in existence under present conditions, might well become junior schools. and the other two concentrate upon senior work, this way duplication of effort, energy and expense would be avoided fand, it the change were made under the guidance of competent education liste, a. very. substantial reduction in the Council's education budget should goon result as well as increasters: [ed eMiciency in the schools, Just how large a voice, if any, our Jcdueationalists have in framing the Council's education programme I do. not know, but, judging by the set-up. should imagine very little: Are the Heads given any opportunity or encouragement to express their views sop, on the broad lines of the Council's polley How many members of the Council's Education Committee have any experience in the field of educa tion is another thing 1 would Ike to know. Something more than willing ness fo do a job of work, and a kirid, but vague interest in schools should be required as a qualification for membership of that very important committee, in the interests of Counil, parents and children, I presume to offer a suggestion, which is, that the Chairman of the i Couneit should emulate Lord Beaverbrook and step over the red-tape by Inviting the Heads of all the schools concerned to a half-hour conference fat his office to discuss: (1) Are six tone-class schools necessary in the [Settlement today? (2) Would emelt ency be increased it half the schools concentrated on junior work and the other half entirely on senior? (3) Would such re-organization resuit in a reduction of expenditure? To pro-vent self-interest and ambition finding expression he might put them on oath, fs educationalists, to speak "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth." My impression is the Chairman would find that he had done something to ense the Council of, at least, a little of its burden, and the rate-payers of a little of theirs.
Shanghat, Jan, 10. over no man's land and he is only asking for whatever he may get, which is likely (o be a bullet.
Last Sunday I was lucky and the raiding party were bad shots.
Shanghai, Jon. 9.
An Interesting Suggestion To the Baltor of the "Nonri-Cinxa Dany News"
Sm—It is only a tittle over a week to the special meeting at which we shall be asked to agree to an increase In municipal rates on our houses, forces, shops, etc, which will be equal to 10.8 per cent. of whatever rent we may be paying er shall have {o pay during the year. The mect~ Ing is thus very important. and it is desirable that there should be a large. attendance.
Tam informed by the S.M.C. that the meeting will be on the stands at the Race Course, As the date is only two days after "Ta Han" or "Great Cold" it Is almost certain that this will be one of. the coldest Course, the value of the meeting of record number of ratepayers. was much reduced due to people becoming cold, uncomfortable, tired and restless—also the loud speakers were uncertain in action. All this prevent oda full and free discussion of the very interesting subjects that then came up and were voted on without certain speakers being heard at all.
At all_meetings of the ratepayers the most important speech.of the day may be presumed to be that of the Chairman of the Council. Yet this speech though taking perhaps 20 minnies to deliver is spoken rapidly and often is only partly audible due to defects in acoustics, T have noticed that the other councillors on the platform (none of whom ever take part in the discussions) are always provided with a printed copy of what the Chairman is saying, though they must already be famflia with the subject having studied for weeks beforehand. This privilege of-following in print is restricted to the Councillors.
The general public who before the meeting have had only an odd scrap or two in the Press (or club gossip) to go by are expected to be able to absorb the full meaning of the strings of Agures that must be given. While trying to follow these they must lose the trend of the speech and miss fresh points that have been made; yet after a pause of a few moments they are supposed to be able to be in a position th under stand the full meaning of a speech that represents the long-considered opinion of a number of men.. Ther the G. P, have to vote, "Yes" or No.
So T suggest that this time, in view of the very serious proposal to, be brought forward, the cold weather and the uncomfortable aecommodation, that the Chairman's speech be printed In the leading papers Shanghai at least two days before the meeting, copies to those. attending, would also be a good thing, Then at the meeting the Chairman's speech would be "taken the resolution put at once, If there no opposition it is possible for the meeting to be over ina few minutes. If there Is opposition it has a reasonable chance of being heard instead of being shouted down by cold and tired ratepayers (or hecklers), in a manner incompatible with the dignity that such a meeting should have, Shanghai, Jan. 1
ES, Lars,' Ju.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.