The members of the Rowing Club Swimming Bath are taking up water polo enthusiastically and last night a very good practice yama was played. The recruits to the ranks of the polo players-are improving while the Club has " number of layers such as P. H. Fowler, W.
mi easter, J.T. Tyack and Wheen who are really first-class. The shooting is g ting steadier nnd there is more combination so that the Swimming Bath Club team will have to be very strong if it is to stand a chance against the Rowers. of our fellow townsman is so old a Shanghai institution as the Library, I venture to hope that an apology is uncalled for.
It is not necessary for me to go into the past history of the Shanghai Library, but for one reason or another, probably the growth of other Libraries and other recreations, the number of subscribers does not increase, and the existence of the Library is becoming precarious; -yet the Committee cannot but feel that there must be a considerable and probably growing section of our foreign population to whom a Library such as this is. a boon if not a necessity. We have at present some' 15,000 volumes, many of which are standard works of reference, history, and' travel; while providing for of these sections, it is necessary 10 maintain a supply of current literature of a more ephemeral kind, as well as a stock of newspapers and magi zines for the reading room. Unfortunately the funds at our disposal do not admit of the efficient working of the Library on these lines, even in the most modest way. We are encumbered with a debt of some £180 to our London book-soller, many of the books are sadly in need of re-binding, and the want: of a Catalogue is felt at every turn, Now what we wish to put before the Shanghai Publio'is this; here is an old tution, which ought to be of use to a jerable section of the community, in risk of dissolution, Of course it may be answered: "Let the class that benefits by the Library subscribe, and if they don't subscribe there is proof that the Library is not wanted." I venture to this isa narrow view, for the result would be that the considerable number of existing subscribers would lose their library, and a valuable collection of persed. I am also glad to point out as x practical argument that the umber of subscribers is increasing, so that we hope that if once put upon our feet, we shall be able to run Phe debt to our London bookseller £180, say Tls. 1,500, and the expected cost of a catalogue, which is under pr paration, and of rebinding such books require it, is Tls. 1,000. Wo are thereforo'in nevd of a sum of Tls. 2,500; a few munificent members of the community have subscribed from Tls. 900 to Tls. 1,000, but we feel that there must be many others who would be glad to help us to tide over our present difficul-with contributions according to their means, and to give permanent support to old Shanghai institution by becoming nual subscribers.
Subscriptions will gladly be received by the Hon. Treasurer, 4, Jin Kee Road, by the Librarian at the Library, or by myself.
Lam, ete., H. W. ye Savewancz,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.