To return to the subject of guilds in general and those of our "Model Settlement" of Shanghai in particular, many of which in this respect so far as this ort is concerned should also be celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of their existence, they having been incorporated contemporaneously with the opening of Shanghai us a treaty port. The most or the Goldleaf guild; while in point of wealthy is perhaps the 'Chinpo Kungso" influence those of the *"Ssti-yi," ' Tstien. yi," and *Yang-hue" Kungso, that is to say, the Silk, the Bankers' and the Foreign manufactures (cotton cloth ete.) guilds may be said to take the lead in Shanghai, far as foreign intercourse is concerned. For this reason, we hear amongst ourselves very little about the Goldleaf guild—we would not be surprised even if many of our' readers may not even have heard of the name—but, m point of fact, it is not only an exceedingly rich association, but also very influential amongst the official classes, especially, since it really controls the gold market, not only locally, but within a radius of many miles. "Hence we are of opinion that we cannot be very far_ wrong in ranking this guild as the first in Shanghai. 'The members of this guild carry on their operations quietly, and having that influence and power which is accorded wealth, have not been forced into such heavy expenses as the Silk, Tea or Bankers' guilds have sometimes been put to, owing, to international commercial complications. With respect to the GOVERNING BODY OF EACH GUILD, the average number of officers is four, usually elected from the body corporate, fon account of their wealth or influence. Each officer becomes chairman in rotation, the period of this officer's chairmanship being one year; moreover, as chairman he is also compelled to keep an account of the disbursements of the guild, hence he is also a treasurer of the institution. In such guilds as the Bankers', Silk or Goldleaf and the like, when the money held in the guilds' names might amount sometimes to is. 100,000 at a time, the position of treasurer becomes a responsible one. Of course, each guild employs'a number of clerks and writers, but these possess little or no influence' beyond their special sphere. The great gates of each guild are opened twice a year for the discussion of ordinary business and this is once in the spring and once in the autumn months, the days chosen for the functions being the anniversaries of the birth and death of Kuanti, the Chinese Mars. On such occasions a' sum is generally taken out of the guild coffers for.the purpose of entertaining' the members and visiting brethren from neighbouring cities at a banquet accompanied by theatricals, held in the grand hall of the institution. As a rule, if any of the members of a guild should happen to have litigation with an outsider, there is a sum of money held in reserve for such purposes which the members have the right. to draw upon in order to prosecute such cases at the yamens, If the outsider be also a member of a guild, the usual method is to ask the elficers of their respective guilds to arbitrate the case. If this fail, then it becomes a question of wealth and influence; and to the guild that disburses the most money and carries with it the most influence is given the verdict. Members having disputes amongst themselves also have them settled at a convocation of the guild. In Shanghai as well as elsewhere, there are really two KINDS OP GUILDS, with perhaps a third. These are the Kung-so or guild proper, representing a body of merchants or craftsmen of the higher order; and the Huikuan, Assembl: That is to say, peoploc ning froma distance Hall,"which represents the stranger's guild. to trade must have a place of meeting, and it naturally follows that when the members of an adjoining province who come to trade in a certain town, and find themselves rich enough to build a Huikuan, this is done xt once. It is a well-known fact that the Chinese have a stubborn wish to be buried in their native town, and decidedly object to becrime wandering and homeless spirits when they die in a strange town; although they might have their wives and families down to the third generation with them at the time, yet the wish to have their bones in the cemetery of their native village or town is paramount with them. "The wish is father to the thought," hence the first care of a community of strangers doing business in a neighbouring city is to build a Hwikwan, the elected officers of which are bound to look after the coffins and bones of their fellow-provincials, and to transport them to their native towns. To each Huilnan there is attached a mortuary where such coffins are deposited, sometimes amounting, as in the case of the Ningpo Huikuan, or "Joss-house" as itis usually called by foreigners, to nearly 2,000 at @ time. When these become too many, a notification is generally sent to the depositing families to take sures to transport their coffins to their ni homes; but if the persons applied to ate too indigent to do so, then it becomes the duty of the Huikwan to transport the coffins at the expense of the public treasury. To quote again an incident from the aboveed guild, from a Huiknan, this insti course of years, so that in point of induence tution, "has grown larger and larger in
it has become a formidable factor in the commonwealth of our Model_ Settlement. Every Ningpo man in Shanghai considers he has a right to the protection gad of his Huikuan, whether he has paid his fees or not, and as there cannot be less than 30,000 men, women and children in Shanghai who hail from this neighbouring city, one can fancy the passions that coul be aroused in an emeryency—for the Ningpo men are a passionate race—as witness the meute of Ningpo men which happened about eighteen years ago on the French side of the Yang-king-pang when the French Municipality tried to open a roadway through the grounds adjoining the Ningpo Joss-house" or Huikuan, westward, to comet with the Arsenal road. The Ningpo men got what they called their rights, but with the loss of a few ives, In dealing therefore with the question of guilds in China, and Shanghai and the treaty ports especially, diplomats and consuls have a very grave matter on their hands, which should always require considerable tact and diplomacy; for to sy the least, guilds are as amenable to reason as any of the bodies corporate in this restricted world of ours.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.