June 4—This High Cost of Living question, beginning with the household staff who keep repeating "rice belong too dear" is beginning to get me down. I spend a lot of time walking round and about this city and 1 often think of the statement made by that fine old countryman William Cobbett in his Rural Rides (1830) somewhat to this effect: "If you want to guage the prosperity of any community, look at the women and see if they are well or badly dressed." After thirty years of quiet observation I can say, that I have never seen the working women of Shanghai better dressed: pretty cotton gowns. cut in directoire style to give a glimpse of coloured stockings and neat shoes (often foreign high-heeled style): hair expensively frizzed in latest fashion: even the lasses working in the fields are better dressed than ever. John-Willy and Sister Mei-mei go to school in socks and shoes (each carrying a little leather case): big brother wears "shorts" and fancy stockings in his hours of ease, and rides to his work on a bicycle: it is no uncommon sight to see four or five modern pneumatic-tyred bicycles piled up in the corner of a field being harvested... 'a sight unheard of even a year ago. Each morning I can show you carts piled up with long frosted glass containers (looking like long light-bulbs) which are the "insides" of Thermos Flasks....because even the Chinese farmer has become "thermos-minded" and Ha; discarded his Old brass teapot for the new invention. As to food: I recall the story of the King who said, "the: people are starving, for bread is too dear"; "Oh" said the Little Princess, "why do they not eat cake?" Precisely! if I can judge by the dainty dishes served at every little wayside stall: bowls of stewed strawberries are the latest fancy. Lads who.came to my office years ago dressed in cotton gowns now look like prosperous. stockbrokers with the old school-tie and dove-grey spats. Do I begrudge these hard-working people this higher standard of living? Certainly not, bless their hearts! But it is no use telling me that all the "H.C.L." is due to the high cost of nice and vegetables. If you want to know the true answer, remember the words of William Cobbett. and keep your eye on the pretty-pretties as go to work in the early mornings—rs.w.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.