The last official public adh connexion with an interesting phase of Shanghai night life took place at the Lown Hall on Thursday in pursuance to the order printed in the Municipal Gazette as follows:
"One-half of the brothel licences, selected by lot, will be withdrawn on April 1, 1924. A public drawing will take place at the Town Hall on Thursday, December 6, at 3 o'clock p.m., when the brothels to be closed will Be determined."
The measure restricting the activities of this group of society was adopted at the Annual Meeting of Ratepayers held in April, 1920, subsequent to a recommendation of the Special Vice Commission, after a thorough research into the situation in the precincts the Settlement.
The official notice stated that it would be necessary for Chinese to obtain permits to attend the drawing (which could be obtained from the Revenue Office in the Municipal Building), and there were large numbers of intensely interested men, women and children at the hall. On the orchestra stand were the officials of the Department, while the actual drawing was supervised by Mr. E. L. Allen, Commissioner of Revenue. Sub-Insp. Moore Watched for the Police. Seated with tense faces in the first three or four rows of chairs, though gazing with stolid faces at the foreigners above were scores of Chinese. A hypnotic trance seemed to have over come th they sat riveted to their chairs, their eyes glued to the whirling brass bowl, which spun three or four times to the minute, andi
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.