2rd May. tu Jubilee Celebration Committee held its final meeting on Monday afternoon under the presidency of Mr. Hannen, the only business, as the Chairman remarked, being to consider and approve the report of the sub-committee. He pointed out that the resolution passed at the ratepayers' annual meeting called for the appointment of "a Committee of not less than 20 Ratepayers to report to a special meeting within the next) memorating the srcbilee year of this three months any proposals for com-
settlement together with such information, suggestions and recommendations as will enable the Ratepayers to decide on the scheme to be adopted." 'The Committee had not fully carried out the resolution, really because the time was too short. hey were called together on the 8th of May and their time expired at the eud of the month. It was quite true that the special ratepayers' meeting was not to be held until the 7th of June, but it was better for them to stick as strictly as possible to the terms of the resolution, and that if anything further was required to be done, it should be done outside this Committee.
Municipal Council proposed to publish the schemes as submitted to the Committee with the Comwittee's report, as well as the minutes of the Committee's meetings as they had appeared in the papers, and they would add as an appendix any information or details or particulars, or any new schemes that might still be submitted. He would now read the} report that had been drawn up by the sub-committee, he arguments for the two schemes that had gained the greatest number of votes in Committee were 1. For Mr. Lanning's scheme, that the foreign children had become very numerous in the Settlement, and there was no proper school accommodation for them, but this would be met by extending the present school site. This site might now be acquired at a very reasonable cost, the sum required being 'T's. 40,000 for the site and is. 20,000 for buildings. At this expense, hich experts in municipal finance declared to be well within our present means, we should have an ornamental, useful, and tangible Jubilee memorial.
2. For Mr. Campbell's scheme, that we had no reliable details, especially as to cost and results, of the various plans submitted, and' it was thought that the Ratepayers would prefer to make a Te°osm' moderate maximum grant, which could be dispensed at leisure and after due consideration. Mr. Jausen's scheme was too costly to be commended.
The Committee had then agreed to the celebration on the 17th and 18th of November next at a cost not exceed-! ing Tls. 5,000, with a public banquet, The Committee must feel that they had hardly carried out the object for which they were appointed, but they had done their best, The probable cost of the different schemes was then briefly recapitulated, as mentioned last week, and it was added that Mr. Campbell's scheme seemed to be the only definite one, and was recommended by sixteen votes to twelve. 'I'he following is the Committee's report At the last Ratepayers' Meeting a resolution was passed in the following terms Celebration of the Jubilee Year.
Resolution IX.—That the incoming Council appoint a Committee of not less than twenty yers to report to a special meeting within the next three months any proposals for commemorating the Jubilee of this Settlement together with such information, suggestions and recommendations as will enable the ratepayers to decide on the scheme to be adopted.
In pursuance of this resolution a Committee was appointed by the Municipal Council which met on the 8th instant, and to which were submitted the following proposals it. Welch suggested that a Park for foreigners should acquired and laid out in Hongkew.
Dr. Burge suggested that 100 mow of land should be acquired away from the neighbourhood of houses, upon which buildings of an inexpensive nature should be erected for an infectious diseases hos-PINE. Jansen proposed that an annual ital.
want be made for the establishment of free schools for the education of native children.
Mr. Drummond and Mr. Anderson proposed that a Town Hall should be erected.
Mr. Tsao proposed that an annual grant, of Tuels 10,000 be made for the purpose of maintaining a Chinese poor man's refuge. manent memorial of the Jubilee of Shangfr. Lanning proposed. that the, perhai consist of a site for a Public School and for a Public School Building.
Mr. Campbell proposed that the Jubil be marked by a grant, to be called Jubilee Grant, of 'Tuels 25,000 for the benefit' of such public institutions as the Municipal Council in their discretion might select.
After considerable discussion, these various. propositions were put to' the Committee. Messrs. Welch's and Tsao's did not obtain any votes. Dr. Burge's obtained 3, Messrs.' Drummond and Anderson's 4, Mr. Lanning's 12, and Mr. Campbell's 12.
Upon a final' vote being taken Mr. Lanning's scheme obtained 12 votes and Mr, Campbell's 16.
The proposals in full and a report of the discussion which took place at the meeting of the Committee are set out in the apbendix to this report, and we think it will sufficient if we set out briefly the argu-the site and present buildings and Tls. 20,000 more for the memorial building and furniture is, in the opinion of experts in Municipal finance, within our present means.
5.—That if carried into effect the scheme will provide an ornamental, useful, and tangi lo memorial of the Jubilee.
With regard to Mr. Campbell's scheme, it may be pointed out that as none of the Schemes originally brought before the Jubilee Committee furnished any reliable details regarding the important items of costs or results except Mr. Jansen's scheme, as far as costs were concerned, it was probably thought that a scheme fixing; moderate maximum sum to be expended would be favourably received by the majority of the Committee, and such proved to be the case. Apart from jthe object of Mr. Jansen's scheme, about which as might have been ex-there were differences of opinion, the financial part of it, involving @ provision of Tls. 10,000 per annum in future Municipal Budgets, did not commend itself to the majority of the Committee, who after considerable discussion on Mr. Lanning's Public School scheme, referred to above, bell and supported by the remarks of opted a scheme proposed by Mr. Camp: Dr. Henderson and Mr. Adler. In its final form it was as follows:—That the Jubilee of Shanghai be marked by a grant (to be called the Jubilee Grant) of is. 25,000 which sum is to he vested in the Municipal Council for the time being, to be administered by them in their discretion, as regards principal °"! interest, for the benefit of such public institutions in Shanghai as may from time to time, while the grant lasts, apply to the Municipal Council for assistance therefrom, and whose apications are entertained by the Municipal nuneil.
After having disposed of the means of permanently commemorating the Jubilee, the Committee passed the following resolution, almost unanimously, with regard to its celebration That Friday, 17th November next, be fixed as a general holiday. That on that day the principal streets be decorated, and that householders be invited to assist in the illumination of the whole Settlements on the evening of that day.
That on Saturday the 18th some special celebration for the Foreign Children of the Settlement be organised.
That a sum not. exceeding Ts 5,000 be Arawn from the Municipal funds towards defraying the expenses of these celebrations; that a Committee be appointed to arrange details and superintend disbursements. And that a Public Banquet, to which residents should be invited to subscribe, be given on the 17th of November.
The Committee feel that they have hardly carried out the latter portion of the resolution passed at the last meeting of ratepayers, but they would submit that their time has been very limited. Their first meeting was held on the 8h of May, ments in favour of the two schemes which the second on the 15th and their final obtained the most votes. meeting for the consideration of their re-With regard to Mr. Lanning's scheme port on the 22nd. the following is a summary of the argu-will be noticed that no information as ments in its favour to the cost of Mr. Welch's scheme was view of the increasing num-furnished; that Mr. Jansen's and Mr. ber of children resident here, ud the Tack Tsao's schemes involved a future liability of suitable ace dation for em a Public of Tls. 10,000 a year; that the Town Hail School is a necessity. was estimated to cost from Tls. 70,000 to 2.—That this fact has already been fully Tls. 80,000; that Mr. Lanning's scheme ised by the public and the Press, involved an' initial expenditure of Tis. and that it is a generally expressed opinion 40,000, with a further ed expendi-that the present Public School should be ture of Tls. 20,000; that Dr. Burge's scheme extended in order to widen its sphere of wuired some Tls. 30,000 or Is. 40,000 usefulness. taels and that Mr. Campbell's scheme alone 3.—That there is a present opportunity suggested a definite sum not involving any of obtaining a very favourable site at a future liability. reasonable figure, which opportunity may The majority of the Committee thought not occur again, and should not be allowed that all the other schemes were either too to slip. indefinite or too expensive, or both, and
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.