The really handsome building which the Municipal Engineers department have designed, and the Municipal Council have erected, to serve as a Public School for the Chinese portion of the community was opened with duo ceremonies on Saturday afternoon. A description of the school appeared in our last issue and we need only add that every one present on Saturday was impressed by the fine proportions of the lecture hall and the convenient furnishings of the classrooms and other apartments. The school, which stands in a large playground, immediately in front of the railway station, is a credit alike to its designers and to the community. The attendance was representative rather than large. Mr. F. Anderson, as Chairman of the Council, received the company in the spacious entrance lobby. those present wore H.E. Li Hai-huan, Treaty Commissioner, H.H. Yuan Taotai, many of the leading local mandarins, Sir Robert Bredon, K.0.M. Dr. Timothy Richard, (Chairman of the Committee), Dr. F. L. Hawks Pott (Principal of St. John's College), Dr. A. P. Parker (Principal of the Anglo-Chinese College), Dr. Gilbert Reid (International Institute). the Rev. A.J, Walker, M.A, Mr. J. W. Jamieson, (Commercial Attache), members of the Council, and representatives of other schools, including Mr. G. F. Lanning, Mr. R. G. Dowie, and Mr. G. F. C. Dobson. Mr. W. Sheldon Ridge (Headmaster of the new school), Mr. G. Foster Kemp (Assistant master) and the staff of Chinese professors occupied seats on the platform. A number of the helped to fill out the seats of the Mr. F. Anderson made the following explanatory address It is now four and a-half years since I had the honour of moving a resolution—which was carried unanimously—at the Annual Meeting of Ratepayers that the Council be authorised to establish and control a system of public education for the benefit of Chinese residents in the Settlement. We are met*here to-day to inaugurate the new departure in the Public life of these Settlements by formally opening the Chinese Public School commits the management of the school The extensive buildings which you see with every confidence. I have now the around you have been erected at an pleasure to declare the school open for expenditure of about Tls. 37,000.00, the reception of those in whose interest which has been entirely defrayed by sub-it has been erected: (Loud applause.) scriptions from our Chinese fellow-re-Dr. Timothy Rickard interpreted the sidents (spplanse), and may therefore be Chairman's remarks for the benefit of the rightly considered as a monument of non-English-speaking Chinese present. their philanthropy, generosity, and pro-BH. E. Li Hai-huan, speaking in gressive spirit, Chinese, made some remarks which wore We are glad to welcome amongst us afterwards interpreted as follows: It H. E. La, and many other leading gives me very great pleasure to be pre-Chinese residents who are always active sent here to-day to take part in the in supporting movements calculated to promote the public welfare, and I am inauguration of the new Chinese Public School. I have listened with great ploasare we all regret the absence, owing to sure to all that Mr. Anderson has sai unavoidable circumstances, of H. E. and I so fully agree with it that there is Sheng, who has for many years taken no need for me to say much more. That deep interest in promoting the cause of foreigners should be helping Chinese in education. The sympathy and, practical the sr of education shows th support which has been extended to this isting between them. I movement by the most influential highly appreciate the foreigners' bonefi-Chinese amongst us, in the best interests cial efforts. What I sincerely hope is that surrounded, is an ox ly encourage of the multitudes by. which we are this new institution will soon train many mon of ability for the benefit and service sign of the times, It is said of H.LH. of China. (Applause.) I hope it will always Prince Pu Lun, when he was in America,
the evidences of Western progress an: that after he bad been shown many of have the support of the Council as well asof the public. Applause.) I thank the civilisation, he was prst a what had Committee for their invitation to be present, I congratulate them on their impressed him most in the bustling Present success, and I wish them a groater activity. of. that great country, which i success in the future. (Applause.) many respects was such a contrast to his ELE. Yuan Taotai also spoke in Chi-own. His answer was that he was ni 1080. impressed more by the national system Sir Robert Bredon said the gist of of education than by anything else; that the Taotai's remarks was that he returned railways, industries, and many other thanks for the invitation to be prosont. developments of national life were doubt-Ho appreciated very highly the efforts less very important and interesting, but made by the Council for the education of that they wore all dependent upon one Chinese, and he more particularly ap; bey, Ra cee that on his return ciated it as'he understood the pro: to a ould do everything in his school was only a beginning, and power to further the cause of national the movement would be extended in the education. If the Prince carries out his future. (Applause.) intention and is successful in reforming The: speeches over, those present ad-the system at present in vogue in the journed to one of the class rooms to village schools of China, a system which discuss refreshments. has been described by Dr, A-H. Smith in his Chinese Characteristics" as intellectual infanticide, substituting for it an education which will free the intellectual activities of the younger generation, in-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.