The annual_meeting of the Shanghai Paper Hunt Club was held on Monday evening at the Shanghai Club, Mr. Frank Maitland presiding over a good attendance, The Chairman, m addressing the meeting aware, was postponed in consequence of the Inmented death of our late and greatly respected friend and Hon. member, Mr. John Macgregor, As you all know, he took grent interest in all the recreations connected with our Settlement, and in common with others we shall personally very greatly amiss him, His virtues have been so fully tet forth in the public Press and in private assemblies, that nothing T could sxy would add to the appreciation we all felt for him, nor could it cause more sympathy than has already been expressed, but I fear it will be many s day before Shanghai will look upon one who will as efficiently make his mark in Shanghai as our late friend did. (Hear, hear.) Turning now to the accounts, we started Inst season with a debit balance of $15.74, and the balance sheet now shows a credit balance of $22.75. As regards our past er Hunt season I think we may safely it_wan one of the most successful We had 12 hunts, and no no An innovation was introduced in the middle of the season, when entry was full of paper and the dust blinding, in the shape of @ point-to-point steeplechase, and [think we may pass that as successful also, but I can quite understand that there will always be those in favour of a hunt, etc. On three Saturdays, owing to the extreme cold, we were frozen-out. Increase in the number of riding men and spectators caused some confusion at the finish of two hunts, when there was a muddle about the order in hich the first six 6 ed. We hope to avoid this in future, these times ie is necessary to have four judges, two at each flag, one of whom writes down the names as the other sings them out. Some time age the Stewards held a meetin, with regard to the Cow Bridge. We decide that it would be greatly to the benefit of ing generally if we started a cross-country id, the objects of which are as i—""To be under the control of thi Master of the S. P. H. C. and the Master of the Hounds, the proceeds to be devoted towards paying " proportion of the cost of the new Cow Bridge and repairs to other bridges wherever necessary in the country, also towards making wades at various points through creeks where necessary and to the reeds." Asthe advant"ges to be from this fad will be enjoyed by all who ride in the country, the fand i separately in order that all, whether members of the S, P, H. C. or Hounds or only Sunday morning riders, may have an opportunity of giving whatever amount they may think Gt. The Cow Bridge will cost Tls. 210, Tls. 50 paid by Mr. Shaw, Tls. 60 by the Municipal Council and the rest to be borne by S.P.H.C. and Hounds, but the different umber of members of these Clubs induced us to make it a general thing for all riding people to subscribe to for mending bridges which will be greatly appreciated by the country people, also making wades, cutting reeds, and in' fact where a bridge can be put up to open new country that even might be done, I hope that all will help in getting riding men to subscribe, and any suggestions that can be made as to where bridges can be put up will be carefully considered. 1. think with a view to getting all the fun we can for our money we should try, if the Stewards of the Race Club are agreeable, to get up a Gymkhana meeting on the Course, sy for New Year's Day. At that time the country is asa rule full of paper and it would be a nice change. T cannot sit down, gentlemen, without telling you whata great help Mr. Mann has been to the S.P.H.C. in the way of dyeing the paper the various hunts. (Hear hear.) Without h kind help in this direction we should, I fear, have not had a clean slate as regard the "'no hunts." Another gentleman—and these remarks are made entirely on my own respousibility—whom we owe a great deal to is our Hon, Secretary. When last year you elected ie as Master I was afraid that Mr. Ayscough was going to retire from hi important positi, Gut atcorall, he wae kin to renin xnd our position such tis is urently due to him, We are not quite in the position of the Volunteers as regards requiring xn official secretary, b the amount of work to be done has i creased exch year, and what with the various advertisements, ordinary hunts, correspondence with the Taotai, point-to-point steeplechase, the Handicap, and lastly the Meeting on the Course, also the keeping; down of expenses, the Secretary's billet has been and will be anything but a light one. If we can get Mr. Avecough to remain at his post for another year the Club will very greatly benefit and I am sure his brother Stewards will give him all the help in their power, (Hear hear.)
Mr. Ayscough thanked the Chairman for the very kind terms in which his work had been spoken of, and assured the meeting that it had been a great pleasure to do what he had done, especially as last year he got Jess abuse than in previous years.
(Laughter). Every year there was difficulty in getting the wocounte to balance, on account of increasing expenses, and ho thought the best way to make things more comfortable would be to make a charge of a dollar a head to people attending the Club's Race Meeting. (Hear, hear.) There were a good m jo who derived a lot of amusement from the paper hunts, who attended the Race Meeting and lad decidedly good time, who were quite unconnected with either the Race Club or the Paper Hunt Club, and who, in fact, had nothing to do with riding. ' He proposed the following resolution That with the sanction of the Stewards of the Race Club an entrance fee of one dollar per head be charged to all those attending the Paper Hunt aces this coming season, with the exception of Ladies, members of the Race Club, and members and (or) honorary members of the Paper Hunt Club.
Mr. Read suggested that double admission should be charged for babies in arms. (Laughter).
The Chairman remarked that they only came to the free shows, Mr. Midwood seconded the resolution, which was car The Chairman stated that the Stewards had had a letter from Mr. Callaway at home king for particulars regarding the Challenge Cup which it had been generally understood he knew all about and would procure. A letter in reply hnd been sent and it was hoped that the Cup was on its way.
he next business on the paper was the election of Stewards for the ensuing season.
Mr. Midwood suggested that it would be advisable to first elect the Master, and accordingly he proposed the re-election of Mr. Frank Maitland (Hear, hear.)
Mr. Middleton seconded' and the resolution having been put to the meeting by Mr. Ayscough was carried unanimously.
Whilst the ballot for the Stewards was proceeding, Mr, Renney asked for some information concerning the proposed Gymkhana, The Chairman said nothing had yet been definitely settled but he presumed the programme would he made up of amusing items, Mr, Renny deprecated too much of the circus element, whilst Mr. H. Sampson contended that a gym-Khana was especially intended to provide fun for the spectator:
At this stage it was announced that the following gentlemen had been elected Stewards for the coming season, Mesers. Frank Maitland, (Master), Dudgeon, Crawford, Midwood, Ayscough, Perrott and Souter.
Mr. Ayscough having consented to continue to net as Hon, Sec., the proceedings terminated,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.