Turning now to the Chamber's immediate activities, you will notice from the statement of accounts that, the Language School shows a lose: on the year's working. This is due in some measure to the trouble commencing on May 30, which resuited in many of the students being called out for Volunteer service—— but there is additionally a noticeable' falling off in the number of students attending the School which may be: ascribed not merely to a lack of interest, but lack of appreciation of the value of the Chinese Language and its ifapertance in the conduct} of business. Your Language School Committee during the year has given careful attention to this and has arrived at the opinion that the Cainese Language, with the gradual realization of Chines national aspirations, will play an increasing part in future business} relationships, In order to pursue more systematic course of study but to equip mercantile assistants with more than a working knowledge of the Came your Committee has end recommendations of the Languag? School Sub-Committee to revise "he School's curriculum. Copies of the vised currieclum will be in your hands within' the course of 'a Week or sot and T strongly recor: mend members of the Chamber to send to the School those in their firms whose constant association with Chinese renders the medium of the Chinese language an important adjunct to the conduct of busine In the past, American citizens and Dutch subjects have fully appreciate. ed the value of the tuition given in the School and others have attended who, through the medium of the English Language have been able to acquire a knowledge of Chinese. In many cases Japanese firms make it a condition of employment that the Chinese Language must be studied. German firms are almost equally insistent, and T think it behoves us, as one of the greatest foreign traders in this country, to be equally determined thet our assistants shall be proficient in the Arbitrations, Surveys, Employment Arbitrations and surveys have occupied the attention of the Chamber during the year to an extraordin ary degree. So, too, have the Employment Bureew and Trade Enquiries, We have been suecessful in finding positions for quite a number of unemployed. British subacts, and there are still on our files Auite a number seeking employment. The Chamber is particularly careful to investigate every case, and when called upon by members, to supply the information derived from such investigation, No person is recommended for employment, who, after Investigation in found {0 be ahsatis-
The work involved in attending to and answering trade inquiries continues to increase, This fs a very important part of the Cham-'s immediate activities and has. resulted in many agencies being taken up by local firms and orders being booked; some of them involving large sums, and we invite members of the Chamber to avail themselves. as fully as possible of the assistance this department can
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.