With the death of Governor James Ralph of California there passes another of the picturesque figures which have decorated the polities of the middle-west and western United States for so many years. Visitors from China to California will best remember Governor Rolph's adminis-{ration by the sales tax "which was imposed during his term and which was collected with an apparent haphazardness that proved puzzling to many a person returning after years spent in the Far East. one Salesman, having handed a purchaser whatever he had bought and having Feceived his just dues upon the article, would continue to hold out his hand, explaining cryptically: "For Jimmy's gas." Or if that were not sufficiently clear to the stranger: "Por Jimmy's bath." For in Callfornia there was a popular legend to the effect that Governor Ralph had installed in the governor's quar-{ers in the palatial State Building a bath of fabulous cost. Its oppurtenances would be described to the stranger, and would almost inevitably leave the impression that it would be @ shame to use such a bath for the insignificant purpose of remov-Ing the dirt from even a governor's body. There was the equally' popular story of Governor Rolph's. predilection for travelling by aeroplane, with the expenditure of gasoline this involves. The Californian's 70 increasing facilities for travel between Shanghai and holiday re-{32888 fo the north must be added the new British steamer Shuntien, which first few, such as "Foot Parade," "Gold-diggers of 1033," "Sitting Pretty" and, the like, worked the idea of backstage rehearsals at a theatre to death, There is now a swing towards a real plot in this form of cinema production. "Wonder Bar," still showing in Shanghai, brings in a murder which adds a rear dear to the plot. "Murder the Vanities," still to come, promises 2 mystery as well. "Roman Scandals," "George White's Scandals" and others have attempted nothing but humour, spectacle and dancing musie. "Flying Down to Rio," perhaps musically the most attractive here this year, was original in its setting, combining a really charming and coherent romance with some magnificent tropical settings. fare all "depression production more senses than one. There has Leen repetition of the luvishness in selting and costumery as was shown some years ago by such pictures as "The King of Jazz," for instance. But in a truer sense they are a sign of the times. They are a brave attempt to forget trouble, a veritable reading of the desires of the heart of the world's public to sing their way through the present clouds which surround them, arrived here on Tuesday and will replace the old vessel of the same name With which many who have been in this country Zor some time have had pleasant associations. What with Beroplanes going to Peking, an improved and quickened through train service, and the already well equipped steamers running up the coast, the holiday-maker should be a quately catered for this summer. The Rew Shuntien.is scheduled to call at Tsingtao and her speed should make the journey between Shanghai and that port the shortest yet. The growing number of foreigners who—find that a summer holiday in one of the northern resorts almost too expensive in these hard times should welcome the enlarged accommodation for second class passengers on the new vessel. Arrangements for forty-four second lass passenzcrs have been made. The new Shuntien will make her maiden trip on her Tientsin run on Saturday, and will carry with her the good
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.