In response to an advertisement which lad appeared in the "North. China Daily News" for a few days past, a number of enthusiasts gathered in the S.V.C. Club on November 6 to consider the forma tion of a body to cultivate the art* of Highland piping in Shanghai, Those present, with only two or three exceptions, were all either practising pipers, or men who had Deen pipers.
Mr. J. B. Ross, who presided, a3- sured the gathering that they could count on a great deal more support than the number present might suggest. He had guarantees from many Wwellcknown Scotsmien that they. would do everything possible Whilst the fact that the So-Giety, if formed, would nehieve ite purpose seemed to be demonstrated the receipt by himself of me quiries from people of from 15 to 50 years as to whether there would be A chance of receiving tuition, That was just what they Society would be able to do, and they would ha expert assistance, besides coaching Jor themselves, from the pipers of the Royal Scots Fusiliers, who. would shortly arrive in Shanghai, 'There were at present in Shang~ hai some fifteen pipers, but many rho of them, because of the nature of their employment, could not join the S.V.C. and 50" were notin' the Shanghai Scottish pipe band. and could not get the benefit of mutual assistance. Furthermore, "a band was only as strong as its wea tember and he knew of pipe ba who had come down to playing no more than three tunes. "A. Pipers Society would encourage individual playing: in the higher branches of Competition music and would secure Feraler supplies of the best come positions. "It would. coach novices, fencoorage pipers by proweessive competitions, and please its supporters by small. concerts at frequent intervals. All the time, too, IU'would be helping the Shanghai Scottish, "Membership would be open to any who. were interested, fand not only to practising pipers.
Mr. HI K. Strachan congratulated Mr. Ross on having achieved what the had been unable todo by repeated attempts over a number of years, Tre said he understood it was pro posed to combine with a Reel Club the original suggestion succeeded and asked if it would not be better to start with the two branches concurrently. Tt was his experience that the two players worked toe seether, that pipers made the best Gancers, and dancers the best pipers, and that a young man who: Became interested in. cither always wanted to take on the other also, Me. Toss suid that the "St. Andrew's Society committee had the matter of a Reel Club in hand and definitely intended to start one very shortly, under the Society's auspices. Therefore, he thought it would be Datta te hagp he re apart, tt the Pipers Society naturally would everything potsile to "aust the Reel Club.
ttle more formal discus agreed to form the Shanghai Pipers Society, The Presi-dont, Vice-President, and members of the General Conmitteo of St.
Andrew's Society were nominated patrons, and the following offers Ross retary Me. don, hon. sec-
Wellsted, Hon. Pipe-Major; Messrs. J. MeNeill, J. A.C. Law, J.D. Riddell, A' McAulay, A. Watt, and HE. D. Adams, committee, Coxovirs built 1,500 years ago, but still usable to irrigate nearby farms are among the objects. cavated in the ancient town of Eakt" Kermen near Sebastopol. Scientists declared that the clay water con-Suite if properly cleaned can b6 rade available to collective farms fon the site of Eski-Kermen. "The excavations, which have been in pro-frets more than a year, have. flag disclosed ancient grain' "elevators? storage spaces hewed out of rocks and cleverly protected against bad weather. The construction nay serve as nodal for local farmery in need of extra storage space. Fuh Coniate tmnt excellent preservation is the Jateat find. one Seunced by the arehesapes. edition working, here.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.