Presentation at the Masonic Club A week of presentations to the popular veteran journalist, Mr. R. D. Neish, of the "Shanghai Mercury", who sails for Home tomorrow, was capped last Friday by a regn'-~ series of them at the Ma-"uw Club, after the annual meeting. Mr. Neish has been associated with Masonry in Shanghai for about 20 years, has held several high offices and has been one of the hardest workers in the interest of the club. For a long spell he was vice-chairman whilst Mr. W. J. N. Dyer controlled affairs and on that gentleman's retirement a year ago Mr. Neish succeeded to the chair.
After the conclusion of the business, Mr. -R. P. Phillips, vice-chairman, on behalf of the members, presented Mr, Neish with a set of travelling bags, mentioning the deep debt of gratitude all the members recognized they were under for the enormous work gratuitously performed for them by Mr. Neish.
Mr. C. Amner, another " veteran, followed on behalf of the various units of Scottish Masonry, for which also Mr. Neish has done so much. Their gift took the form of a big silver salver handsomely and most tastefully engraved in purely Chinese style, with a number of dragons as the main part. of the decoration, and cartying an inscription and: the names or titles of the donating bodies.
Besides these Mr. Neish also received some personal gifts.
Smanawar and the Hangchow military authorities have installed a wireless outfit for use between the two cities. The first messages vill be sent on March 1, states the Chinese press, cotton and piece-goods trade. "He had been resident in the East for over 18 years, serving first of all with a Calcutta firm, Messrs. Bindloss & Kempton, as manager, for five years and afterwards coming to Shanghai. Both in India, in the Calcutta Light Horse, and later in China-he was a well known horseman, and this exercise and the collection of curios were his chief hobbies.
Mr. Kempton will for long be remembered in Shanghai through being prominently identified with charity, giving his services as_hon. treasurer of the Rumanian Relief Fund, to which charity and others he subscribed large. funds. He was appointed by the Senior Consul to look after the affairs of indigent Rumanians and arranged the repatriation of many of his countrymen.
His death will a surprise as well as a great blow to his numerous friends. for he was expected to recover from the nervous disability with which he was afflicted. It was thought to have been partly due to his unceasing activities for charity and the suffering with which he came into contact preying upon hig mind,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.