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66
SHANGHAI.
The "co-operative policy," under which an equal voice is given to small powers having practically no interests in China as to Great Britain, has caused a delay of nearly nine years. The Ministers at Peking have suggested some radical alterations, but these are so opposed to the necessities of the city that the residents, for their own preserva- tion, are bound to offer a strenuous resistance, and from that cause and owing to the changes which have taken place since 1881 it is probable that the Regulations will have to be again revised and will not come into force for some time. A separate Council for the French Concession was appointed in 1862, and now works under the 'Règlement d'Organisation Municipale de la Concession Française," passed in 1868, and consists of four French and four foreign members, elected for two years, half of whom retire annually. They are clected by all owners of land on the Concession, or occupants paying a rental of a thousand francs per annum, or residents with an annual income of four thousand franes. This, it will be noticed, approaches much more nearly to "universal suffrage" than the franchise of the other Settlements, which, however, will be considerably reduced should the new Regulations ever become law. The qualification for councillors North of the Yang- king-pang is the payment of rates to the amount of fifty taels annually, or being a householder paying rates on an assessed rental of twelve hundred taels. For the French Concession the requirement is a monetary one of about the same amount. Several efforts have been made to amalgamate the French with the other Settlements, but hitherto without success. A revision of the Règlements for the French Concession has for some time been under consideration. Meetings of ratepayers are held in February of each year, at which the budgets are voted and the new Councils instructed as to the policy they are to pursue. No important measure is undertaken without being referred to a special meeting of ratepayers. The Council divides itself into Defence, Finance, Watch, and Works Committee. This cosmopolitan system of government has for many years worked so well and so cheaply, that Shanghai has fairly earned for itself the name of "The Model Settlement."
The Revenue of the "Anglo-American " Settlement for 1888 amounted to Tls. 503,601.83, and was derived as follows:-
Land Tax, four-tenths of 1 per cent.
+
General Municipal Rate, Foreign Houses, 8 per cent. General Municipal Rate, Native Houses, 10 per cent. Wharfage Dues, including Contribution from Taotai... Licences, principally opium shops and jinrickshas Local Post Office Tls. 6,540.45; Sale of Stores Tls. 4,686.24 Night Soil, Tls. 2,983.50, Miscellaneous, Tls. 3,024 53 Sinking Fund and Interest Tls. 45,508.74, Loan Tls. 70,000.00 Surplus from 1886
...
...
+
...
Tls. 54,007.24
43,781.53
95,252.80
67,330.20
101,864.41
•
11,226.69 6,008.03 115,508.74 8,622.19
Tls. 503,601.83
The Expenditure for the same year was Tls. 489,130.36, and may be divided as under :-
Police Department
Tls. 87,742.23
Sanitary Department, including Hospitals
34,808.37
Lighting TI, 24,435.78, Water Supply Tls. 10,006 31
34,442.09
Public Works & Survey, includin Garden, Cemeteries, and outside roads Land and Buildings (New Police Station)
136,223.46
50,052.49
Secretariat, Legal and General
36,082.33
Interest Tls. 10,564 82, and Sinking Fund Tls, 21,276.93...
31,841.75
Volunteers Tls. 9,907.12, Fire Dept. Tls. 4.623.90, Band Tls. 6,017.83 Education Tls. 1,873.90, Museum TIs. 500, Library Tls.100 Local Post Office Tl«. 4.617.79, Stores and Sundries 10.297.10 Loan Repaid
20,548.85
2,473.90
14.914.89
W
H
40,000.00
Tls. 489,130.36
The Municipal Revenue for 1889 was estimated at Tls. 396,451, and the Expenditure at Tls. 395,316.