An advertisement on the front page of this journal to-day is one of the best indications that Shanghai is returning to normality, for it is announced that on Sunday the Shanghai Paper Hunt Club will hold the first of this season's hunts. The Club is to be congratulated on the decision, not only because it provides sport for a lot of riders whose activities have during recent months been sadly limited, but also because it means the circulation of money in regions occupied by farmers who have returned to their land, and are urgently in need of funds. It is an open secret that already sums which are considerable to the recipients have been disbursed for the making of jumps, platforms, etc., while the usual system adopted by the Club of compensating farmers over whose land the hunts pass will be resumed as in former years. The Club in its announcement issues its usual warning against private riding parties riding over growing crops, SUpporting a contention published in this journal some weeks ago. Its action in resuming the hunts is all the more praiseworthy because the appearance of the customary winter riders in the areas to Which so many farmers have now returned serves to induce confidence by the restoration of a state of affairs to which they have been accustomed for years. It brings back to them hard cash of which. especially im the winter months, and more particularly this year, they stand in such urgent need, and serves to provide them with seed which they are naturally anxious to get into the ground as soon as possible. It has to be remembered that in normal times money running into thousands of dollars is disbursed by the Paper Hunt Club each season. Owing to the lateness of the commencement of paper hunting the sum will not be so large as in previous years, but then, neither will the number of recipihowever, has always shown in this matter, and with that knowledge it is hoped that those taking part on Sunday and future occa: will find the hunting just as good as ever it was.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.