Bought By Nippon Yusen Kaisha) for Tls. 450,000: Delivery Two Years Hence Japanese property on the Shanghai Bund was increased to the extent of approximately two mow and an important Shanghai landmark is shortly to pass as 2 result lof a real estate transaction which has just been consummated whereby the Masonic Hall, 30 The Bund, is to become the property of the Nippon Yusen Keisha, the consideration being, it is reported, about four Jand one-half lakhs of taels.
The transaction, which was handled by the Asia Realty Company, has Required several months of negotiation owing to the fact that the purchase and sale bad to be approved the board of directors of the! 'N. Y. K, in Tokyo and by the owners the property. The N. Y. K. is to take possession of the property on September 1, 1928, and, although there has been no announcement regarding plana, it is assumed that the Masonic Hall property: amounting to 1.895 mow will be combined with the adjacent property formerly owned by the Yokohama Specie Bank whicl was Also purchased recently by the Y.K. The total area of the two sites is approximately five mow and cost the Japanese steamship company well over one million taels, The old Yokonama Specie Bank premises are now being remodelled for occupancy by the N. Y.
From the Old Days, The early records of Shanghai Masonic organizations, which have been collected in a volume, "History. Shanghai and published in 1913, make interesting reading to-day, in view of the fact that the negotiations for the purchase of property and construction of the old building at 30 The Bund were conduetel following the troublesome days. of the Taiping Rebellion when public confidence in the future of Shanghsi was seriously shaken. For example, there is a reference to the fact that committee was appointed in 1852 to consider the matter of procuring 4 suitable building, but "owing to the disturbed condition of the place and surrounding country in co—sequence of the proximity of the Taiping rebels, nothing definite was done until 1854 when......" This should provide food for thought on the part of those who think the end of the world has come every time a new militarist moves into the Shanghai district, 'The corner, or foundation stone of the present building was. laid on July 8, 1865, the "ceremonial having Tooked' forward to with mue interest for a considerable time, according to the report occasion, which states that "The Procession, which extended for a considerable distance, displayed noteworthy regularity." The building Was dedicated on September 27, 1867, which ives some idea of thy time'required to construct buildings in the "good old days" nearly three-quarters of a century ago.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.