A large and appreciative gathering of Chinese and foreigners assembled at the Institute on Thareday evening to discuss" Methods of relief in times o!
The assembly was lar-fewer foreign merchants than might well been present. There is no mor valuable work thoo the experiment, the Institate is making in bringing together Chinese and foreigners for the purpose of the matoal disc topics interesting to boll Chairmen were Mr. Chen Chin-chen, aod Mr. Hoerter. The former ex-countrymen at the presence of their foreign friends. The discussion was opened by Dr. Gilbert Reid who emphasized confidence, ce-operation and Government aid. A number of Chinese and foreigners participated, incladiog Mr. Pei Yun-sheng, Vice-President of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Mr. 8. E. Stramensky and others. The discussion revealed some interest differences in Chinese and foreign methods of banking, and provided seed for thought as to' the pos improvements both la the Orient and the Occident.
The next meeting of this section will take op the complicated bat important question of likin snd the revenue. shows o slight decrease in revenue, due to the falling-ff in the namber of annns! subscriptions. The printing of the catalogue of Setion ts rexpoosible in expenditare, wh good by the expenditare ander thin head has been $525, copies wid are represented by $42.50 only. Tu view of the repeated r quests for a printed catalogue, it was thought that most of the +ubscribers would parcbase copy, and the Committee is naturally disappointed that such has not been the case, Arrangements have been with The Times Book Clab for the regular sopply of novels and works of biography, travel and ¢0 forth. In this connexion, subscribers may be reminded that snggestions and recommendations are welcomed by the Committee. The namber of books circulated during the year amounted to 15,982, and over 200 works of fiction have been added to the library. Approximately 14,000 persons made ase of the Reading-room, The figares with regard to the umber of subseribers—191 soggest that a greater response might well be made to the efforts of the Committee.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.