Mr, Maze then said he wished: to associate himself in felicitating the quest of the evening on his long connection with the Netherlands Trading Society. "I am not very familiar with the nature of his services to the bank, but I have had good deal of experience of his activities in other spheres in Shang. hai—especially in shipping matters," Mr. Maze remarked. The Customs have lately completed a re: Derthing scheme in the harbour of great importance, and, in eon nection with the preliminary discussions on the subject, Mr, Vu Ya~ ching rendered valuable service the anomalous situation -whict exists here, the Customs were faced with unusual difficulty—an essontiat preliminary was the ¢o-ordination of the conflicting interests of the various types of vessel frequenting this extraordinary harbour. They had to make sure, for example, that the junks, "chicken" boats, lorchas and coasters received as fait a deal as the ocean steamers! Tt was here that Mr, Vu Ya-ching helped. He elucidated and explain. Jed their plans to the different Chinote shipping guilds and companies eon corned, and it was Inrgely due to his tactful assistance and local influence that. they were able to satisfy widely different claims sand thus bring the scheme to a successful Responding in Chinese, Mz. Vu expressed his thanks and his appreciation for the honours which had been poured upon him. He stated that he was most unworthy of the honours and the tributes which had been paid to him because ho had always neglected both hia business and his public duties. He not one who could give advice but who always sought advice, He had profited greatly from his experience tas a member of the bank's stair and hoped to extend his knowledge. He hoped that there would be many re-unions of this nature and wished eternal success to all present, Tu Inter-Provincial Commercial Federations have petitioned the Nanking Ministry of Finance for the suppression of lottery tickets,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.