A homeless man in Foshan, Guangdong province, saved a woman from drowning in a river recently, for which he got 50 yuan ($8) from her husband as reward. The man deserves a lot more than that, and it is the local authorities' responsibility to ensure that he gets it, says an article in Xi'an Evening News. Excerpts:

The spot on the riverbank where the 29-year-old homeless man was standing when he saw the woman in the river was about 3.2 meters above the water level. But without caring for his own safety, he jumped into the river to save the woman. Although he was injured and bleeding from a foot, he stayed with the rescued woman until firemen reached the spot about half an hour later.

Many people have ridiculed the woman's husband for paying 50 yuan to his wife's savior as reward. But it's not fair to pass judgment on his action without knowing his financial state.

Local authorities, however, could do justice to the man by rewarding him appropriately. A good financial reward would be of great help to the homeless man, who survives by collecting and selling waste.

Local media reports have said the homeless man has even lost ID card. If true, the local authorities should also help him recover his ID card. Perhaps they could also offer him a job as a lifeguard.

At a time when social and moral bonds are loosening in Chinese society, people should be praised and suitably rewarded for altruism and unselfish acts.

(China Daily 09/13/2013 page9)