neving the adoption of the report and accounts, said he did not think here was any institution in Shanghai, of its kind, one which was so intimately in touch with the Chinese and their immediate welfare, that ouched foreigners more nearly. because they were able to appreciate assistance which the hospital was to them throuch its ministre:
us to the Chinese, Wealthy neve also, who were engaged in business in the settlement and had numbers of their countrymen depending on them directly or Airectly, must feel that the institution was one which was doing an immediate and direct good among the poorer members of their com: wnmnity, Therefore, the hospital nicht fairly appeal to both these classes for support.
The annual report contained a good deal which went beyond the actual work of the year. The report was an interesting historical docu ment in some ways. The hospital was an institution whose history went back almost as far as the history of the Settlement. Last r the hospital atrail "the Hotted span ug passed since it first saw the light. It was started in the native at a time when the Settlement was non-existent, or-nearly so, It had grown from time to time, and was now starting on an enlarged sphere of usefulness as a result of accommodation increased by—the addition of forty beds. All present would welcome Dr. Davenport on his return from furlough, and wish him God Speed in the work of greater scope which was opening out before him (applause), and with him they must associate Mrs. Davenport (applause).
The history of the hospital showed that it was closely associated with the history of the Settlement. At the present time, Shanghai might be compared with a young man who had grown out of his youth and looked forward to. fresh develop: ment of his strength and energies. And so it was with the hospital. It had grown through its infancy and now reached its vigorous manhood, and was in a most desirable position in one way that a young man ought to be: it could look back on opportunities which had not been neglected, it could look back on steady growth, and it could look forward to renewed vigour and a widening path of industry and usefulness only to be measured by the talents which were committed to its charge.
The question of the talents was one which must ever be present to all philanthropic institutions. It might almost be said that if they were strong and ready to go forward, and actually going forward, philanthropic institutions ought not to have a bank balance. They ought to be spending all they got and they ought to be a little bit thead of their exchequer; because, if they were not, it was always open to some one to say: Are you not ready to do such and such a thing you have the funds'? The ho: pital was at present very much in that position. There were new wards with places for forty more in-patients. In former busy years, 2,000 in-patients had been treated. and the new accommodation would admit of the number being increased to 2,700. Additional funds would be needed, and how were they to be obtained t It appeared that the present time was one in which they might fairly ask the Chinese half of the community, those who were in a pos' tion to help with money, to come forward liberally. and in a sustained way; put their hands in their pockets now, and organize them: selves in such a way that there would be a steady inflow of money which would enable the hospital to continue its work for the good of their fellow countrymen (applause). As foreign interest in things Chinese had increased, and shown itself in substantial ways by subscriptions to various funds, to famine relief and other good works, the opportunity had come for consideration as to whether the Chinese really appreciated this, (hear, hear). Most foreigners who subscribed to the hospital funds would probably, at all events at present, be unable to increase their gifts. The calls on their purses in consequence of the great war which was now devastating Europe and was affecting the whole world were such that further contributions could not resonably be expected from foreigners, though that was no reason why they should not keep up their subscriptions as in the past, because he did not think that the Tls, 10,000 or Tls. 11,000 subscribed last year—a large part of which consisted of special donations—was too high a return for the services which the hospital rendered.
The figures, however, showed that such as the foreign subscriptions were, the subscriptions by Chinese were still less, in fact only a quarter of the foreign subscriptions. If the work of the hospital was appreciated by the educated Chinese, Original from
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.