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Wang Jie (xmwb.xinmin.cn): Guangzhou's regulation lacks feasibility, and it will make the action of returning others' lost property lose its nobility.
Besides, some lost property can't be measured in money, such as documents, files and ID cards. How should we calculate the reward for these items? The regulation will cause contradictions between finders and owners.
Wang Jie (http://news.qq.com): The regulation seems to support morality but is actually moral deterioration. In the past, people would return others' lost property they picked up without considering any financial rewards. Now, fewer and fewer people are doing good deeds. Money worship has caused enough trouble for Chinese society. Rewarding people that have returned lost property to the owner is like buying morality with money. It's moral decline and deterioration. We shall never take this step.
If good deeds are financially rewarded, how can they still be called good deeds? What kind of morality is it? Rewarding people who have returned lost property they picked up doesn't necessarily have to be all about money. We can give noble people spiritual rewards if they refuse financial rewards.
Wang Shichuan (news.xinhuanet.com): Guangzhou's regulation has several flaws. First, what if the policy is used by thieves? For instance, thieves can take cash out of the wallets they have stolen and return certificates and documents to owners to ask for financial reward. How should we tell the difference from lost property and stolen property?
Second, the 135-day lost-and-found announcement is too short. The regulation states that after receiving the lost property handed in by finders, the local police station will issue a lost-and-found announcement and wait 15 days. If no one claims the property, the police station will deliver it to the bureau of public security at the higher level. After 30 days without a claim, the property will be delivered to the municipal public security organization and kept for 90 days. If still unclaimed, the property will be auctioned. But not all people have access to the information.
We can refer to other countries for their advanced experience in the field. For instance, in Japan, the government has established an online database for people to claim their lost property quickly and conveniently. This can save their time and energy. We can establish a similar website as well.
Third, what if the owners refuse to pay for the good deeds but the finders insist on getting paid? The regulation encourages owners to give financial rewards to finders but doesn't make it compulsory. If owners are not willing to pay, then there will be a fight between the two sides.
Finally, if there is a reward for returning lost property, there should also be punishment for not doing so. Nonetheless, Guangzhou's draft regulation hasn't motioned that so far.
Ran Yu (opinion.people.com.cn): The regulation gives finders of lost property a right to ask for a financial reward for their good deeds. This kind of indirect economic stimulation won't bring about more good deeds because it's hard for finders to anticipate how much money it can bring to them before returning the lost property.
Overemphasizing finders' right to ask for a financial reward for returning lost property will kill the long-lasting Chinese tradition of doing that for free. Besides, doing good deeds for money won't help build a better social atmosphere.
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