Discussions at the meeting of the Joint Committee of the Shanghai Women's Organization: on Wednesdi of which a report appears on other page, indicate that something is definitely being done in regard to the local beggar problem. On the face of it, Shanghai's streets do not cal much evidence of any movement to eliminate the nuisance but the explanation probably lies in the fact that the problem is so great and has been magnified since the outbreak of hostilities The Salvation Army and other organizations, with the ce-operation of the foreign municipal authorities, have established camps and useful work is bein: done by concentrating on the juvenile angle and removing the youngsters from the streets. training them to become useful citizens, and educing them to the world again as useful instead of p itting them to to the terrible proce: of human di gradation, ably assisted by bullying taskmaster: until they become pariahs. The discussions revealed that organization which permeates and controls most Chinese abuses flourishes the beggar field. After the horde of shapeless. horrible, deformed humanity—some of which is deliberately created for the bu: iness—has been excluded from the profession of begging, there are large numbers of waifs and strays who appear on the streets and get into the hands of creatures of the Fagin type colloquially called "wild uncles," who exploit them and keep them in permanent bondage through and live on their earnings. These ace h youngsters upon whom efforts are being directed at present by reformers and it is a tribute to the genuine feelings of these youn; sters that at one Salvation Army school only three left after having been taken in for training and education. The hostilities have complicated the problem and hundreds of homeless Chinese children are on the streets and even-y fall into the hands of these "wild un-y at loose on The Bund, skefs, preying on the lorries unloading rice, wheat, cotton etc., from boats in the Whangpoo, furnish a good illustr: tion. Under the guise of sweeping up the spillage, led by much older people, they rip open bags and baskets and pilfer cotton bales in a manner only slightly removed from theft. Prosecutions at the District Court have proved that there is a well-organized band at work, stealing under the pretence of starvation and selling the proceeds at the end of the day to others who make a handsome out of the business. It would ne the entire Police Force to suppress this, but even if suppression were possible it would not solve the problem of these hapless children who, for bare sustenance, defy the la rich these exploiters who deserve terner punishment than Chinese law provides. They are simply making criminals out of young boys amd girls, victims of economic circumstances. The discussions of the women's organizations draw attention to the seriousness of the problem but, without detracting from the value of the work already initiated, something more should be done, not only in regard to the children but to the unwanted hordes who have descended on the foreign areas and ply their trade.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.