To the Editor of the "Norta-Carina Datty News."
Sir,—As one who has many years' service to his credit as " member of the Shanghai Volunteer Corps, may I express, through the medium of your columns, an opinion held by very many of my fellow volunteers, namely, that the services of the Shanghai Public Band should be devoted to the purpose of the Shanghai Volunteer Corps great deal more than they are at present! Recently there has been a widespread agitation at home for the supply of music to our troops, resulting in the establishment of pipe and other bands for the Territoriala.
It is not necessary to emphasize the claims of the S.V.C. on the goodwill of Shanghai ratepayers. The safety of the Settlement lies in the hands of the Volunteers. May we not, therefore, with justice ask that the Ratepayers should offer, through the medium of their Public Band, some slight recompense and acknowledgement in the shape of music on certain occasions—such as the annual camp, parades ete. 1 The Chairman of the Council in his recent speech at the Town Hall emphasized that more recruits were but I have never been "y. or "out" by the Public though I have marched be band kindly lent by th: cruisers in port, and I have a:7 ed the Light Horse Gymkhana listened to the strains of the sax+ band.
True, we have the use of the Public Band on the occasion volunteer funerals and at annual parades, but seldom at other The volunteers are a valua asset to the Settlement and ther deserve well at the hands of the community. Surely if the volunteers want more music, arrangements can be made to let them have it. Their request is, after all, a very moderate and reasonable one.
What are the arrangements as to the band for the Easter Campt In my opinion no section of the community has bigger claims on the services of the band than the 8, V.0. members think that the band should attend every corps parade and play the men home. However, the Easter Camp is a function at which the band would be specially welcome not only to the volunteers themselves, but to the visitors. Cannot something be done to this Tam, etc, Shanghai, March 24.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.