The present emptiness of the exceedingly spacious. premises of what Soon will be the Mercantile Bank of India was turned to. good account on Friday morning for the celebration of the Centenary of the Union Insurance Scelety of Canton. The gathering was representative of commerce in Shanghai. Old China hands and others aspiring to that honourable title were present to do honour to the oldest of them all. Sapajou's cartoon was taken to illustrate the Irresistible vitality and youthfulness of the "old China hand," and this spirit gave the keynote to the con Sratulations received by Mr.
Franklin and his successor-to-be, Mr. 'MH, Ivy, In the course of the roceedings.
Sir John Brenan was present, and atter Mr. L, E. Canning, the senior Member of" the Shanghat Advisory Committee, had made a short speech of welcome to the guests, Sir John proposed the toast of "The Szciety concluding a brief and appropriate speech by reading a telegram of good Wishes from the Head Office in Hongkong.
Mr. Canning said:—Min this great year of celebration—in fact, 1 might say this month of celebration, if we take the 6th, 24th fand 31st of May 1 find myself as the senior member of the local come mittee of the Union Insurance Society Of Canton, Ttd, and, asa consequfence, have tr welcome vou here to-ave on behalf of the Executive of that Society, formed 100 years ago by some far-seeing Independent mer~ chants when the yoke of monopoly wed. Tt It not for me. the history of the those of you who know Canton: even to-day, will appreciate the efforts of those old traders who hind to. protect their own interests. Sapatou's carton in this. morning' "North-China Dally News" bears, to my mind, a great tribute for does it not predict the present youth carry-Ing on from his forebears even in this stage of depression, and what we have to do in the face of all iveraities 1s carry' on.
"Sir John Brenan wishes to say something to you and it Is useless for me to attempt to introduce him. Tmay. have arrived in China before him, but, again. taking. inspiration from Sapajou, may 1 say youth triumphed when Sir John was chosen for his present post, Carry spite of the uphill task, and 1 only have to say again, on behalf of the Society, we welcome you and thank you for coming to celebrate this most uspieious day."
Tu proposing the health of the Society and its continued progress Sit John. Brenan observed:
this is Jubilee year, and it happy coincidence that, having Just finished the celebrations for twenty-Atth anniversary of His Ma-Jeaty's dim, we should now gathered here, on Empire Day, to of-for our congratulations to the Union Insurance Society of Canton on the hundredth anniversary of its foundation.
"There can be few, it any, other British firms in this country that boast a century of successful One hundred years is a good old age: it'reaches back to before our earliest treaty with China; before the foundation of the colony of Hongkong. 'And hence the name of this com: pany, the Union Insurance Society of Canton, In the eighteen-thirties, Canton' was the contre. of Western trade with China and it was there, after the termination of the Ea India Company's monopoly, that this Insurance fociely was established, under the guidance of the still well-remembered firm of Dent & Ca. In the course of time, the head office fof the Society was removed to Hong ong, where it has been ever since "The company has prospered oxceedingly: it has amalgamated with other Important insurance businesses, and, incidentally, T understand that it'Was'a pioneer in the insurance of aviation, "It has branches and agencles in every Important ity in every country, and, in the closing words of pamphlet which 'Mr. Franklin thas handed me, the history of the Society has been one of steady and rem able progress, and to-day it enjoys, with Its affiliated companies, the con Adence and support of the insuring public' throughout the world.'
"Well, gentlemen, that is a proud record for the Society; and the shareholders, of whom T am happy to be one, have every reason to. be satis fed with it. Now T will ask you to rink to the health of the manager, Mr. Franklin, one of the most popu-Yar'men in Shanghai, and to the con. tinued prosperity of the Suciety, and wish it the best of luck for its sec-and century.
The firm has branches. in London, Shanghai, Singapore, Yokohama, Melbourne, Tokyo, Hankow, Tientsin, Bombay, Sydney, Adelaide, Auckland, Wellington, Sourabaya, Toronto, Vancouver, Brisbane, Perth, Christ church, Bueon Ayres, Johannesbur New York, and California.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.