书城外语AShortHistoryofShanghai
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第84章 THE AFTERMATH OF THE WAR, 1919–1920(5)

Chinese Advisory committeeIn reply to the demand that the Chinese should be represented onthe Council the following resolution was passed:“That this meeting approves of the creation of a Chinese Advisorycommittee and that the constitution and powers of such a committeebe limited to those set forth in the letter from the Chairman ofthe Council, to the Senior Consul dated October 24th, 1919, andpublished in the Municipal Gazette of January 8th, 1920.“The constitution of the committee referred to was “ that it shouldhave a membership of have, to be nominated annually by the Chinese,that the nomination be subject to the veto of the Consular Body,that the nominees reside in the Settlement for five years immediatelypreceding nomination, that they should have paid General Municipalrates during the whole of this period on an assessed rental of notless than Tls. 1,200 per annum, that they shall not, at the time ofnomination or whilst on the membership of the committee, hold anyother office under the Chinese Government.“Mr. E. S. Little proposed the following amendment: “That themeeting hereby instructs the Council to take such steps as are necessaryto procure the alteration of the Land Regulations for the purpose ofincreasing the number of Councillors from 9 to 12, of which threeshall be Chinese Ratepayers, with the same qualifications as ForeignCouncillcrs, and to be elected as may be subsequently determined.“This amendment was lost by a majority of about three to one.

Although the Chinese were far from satisfied with the measurepassed by the Council, yet they accepted it for the time being. Laterin the year a Chinese Ratepayers Association was formed which hadas one of its functions that of electing the Advisory committee.

The Municipal Council could not at first see its way to acceptingthis method of appointing the Advisory committee, inasmuch as itappeared that the Chinese Ratepayers Association might try to exercisecontrol over those they elected, and it was not until May 11th, 1921,that the Chinese Advisory committee began to function.

Census of 1920

A census of the foreign and Chinese population was taken in 1920

which showed a still further increase over 1915. The foreign populationwas 23,307 and the Chinese 75 9,83 9. In the foreign community theprincipal increase was in the number of Japanese and Americans.

Famine in the North

The Shanghai community, in addition to the relief work forRussian refugees, was called on to show its usual for those who weresuffering from one of the periodic famines in the North. Continueddrought over a large area brought great distress upon the peopleof Shantung, Chihli and Honan. It was estimated that as many as12,000,000 were threatened with starvation.

A Chinese-Foreign Famine Relief committee was formed andrelief funds were raised both in China and in foreign countries, and theTreaty Powers consented to the Chinese Government charging a surtaxfor famine relief. An attempt was made to provide productive labourfor the people in the famine district, such as the making of roads. Inthe course of the year the committee raised a total of $863,491.79 andTls. 182,908.86.

In the final report of the North China International Society forFamine Relief, dated December, 1921, the total receipts for faminerelief are given as $3,457,899.64.

Unfortunately as soon as the famine began to abate, anothersevere calamity followed, caused by great floods in various parts of thecountry.