Truck Journey Over Shanghai Distributing Packages of Food:
Watchmen Who Joined Rush for Good Things Riesha men on the Bund on Friday morning were seen to forsake their' charges and clamour around a lage truck bearing mystic signs in large Chinese characters. The few foreigners whose Good Friday constitutionals took them past the "North-China" Building were temporarily unable. to fathom the excitement, However, when they saw several men on the truck distribute multi-coloured packages, which evidently contained food, they we their way speculating on the tity of those who Were providing Easter comforts for a class of men who often do not know whence their next meal will come, The truck was loaded with edibles purchased with the last of the *North-China" Christmas Fund for Riesha Men, It was in charge of Mr. George Matheson, founder and honorary director of the Mission to Riesha Men. Its route lay through the Settlement, the French Conces-on, and all available parts A word should also be said, this time not in praise but in criticism, of the many who fo tight, without right or privilege, to participate in the riesha men's treat. One saw well-padded, customarily pompous watehmen, Indian and otherwise, throw work' and watching to the four winds and assail the truck of provender, The riesha men took the whole affair in good spirit, Ithough some of these outsiders did not stand upon the order of their accepting, but grabbed with gay abandon." However, it is possible that in the excitement of the truck's Journey this eventuality was unavoidable, There was enough for all, and the fact that some outsiders Participated in what was not, in" tended dor them may be mercifully scribed to ignorance and tempter tion, Aistribation of food was ly separate from the food ets distributed at the close. of large Ricsha Mission meetings and, ary, during, house 19
Starting at Hsinming Road early in the morning, the truck proceedced, via Nanking Road and the Hong-Kew district, to the Mission headquarters in' Chapel. There " all those who had not obtained parcels during the truck's journey were entertained and provided for, An extra chance to obtain a sample of the truck's load will be given all ricsha men at a mass meeting at the Ricsha Mission "Iall this evening.
It was entertaining to see how the trail of the truck was marked by munching men, or by others eagerly exploring the contents of the packages. No time was lost in satisfying the inner man, although some of the pullers were seen, reluctantly, to put their package carefully away, evidently for home or family consumption.
Shanghai, largely dependent upon unskilled labour, has already realiz-the benefit of such work, and these strenuous efforts on behalf of the greatest number has undoubted-resulted in the greatest good to Holidays have been selected as the most suitable times for these tributions to be made because the is then deprived of his work. Each day has to carry it own burden in the lite of the riesha puller, so while most of us are taking advantage of a respite from Work he merely tightens his belt and waits for the morrow. On Friday last about 20, 000 parcels of food were distribut= ed, most of them from the lorry that visited Shanghai's mean streets during the day the remain" der from the various mission halls.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.