I will not mention any names further than the above couple, but the whole thing was quietly smothered and did not take place.
The reason for this tactic was, that it was considered by the friends of the Municipal Orchestra which performs so admirably in the French Concession, that the holding of such a public debate'in the Forum of the Foreign Y.M.CA. would raise the whole subject rather too publicly and acutely a fortnight before the Ratepayers Meeting, and that this would be extremely bad strategy for the upholders of munici melody public culture, and spiritual-uplift for-some people, at other people's expense, So it came to pass on that Thur: day evening of March 31, we denis of the Foreign Y.M.C.A. were permitted the privilege of listening to Mr. Harris expatiate on the general topic that "Increase of Armaments Will Precipitate a World War," and the congregation was greatly edified by the light and leading given it by our illustrious adumbrater.
But apart from compliments. I seem to remember that a few years ago Mr. Harris was the great public apostle of a project for buying the Majestic site at some astronomical price by the Shanghai Municipal Council, and there to erect on that interesting spot of real estate a civ centre to which the citizens of this would flock in their hundred: indeed several hundred citizens the French Concession and Settlement now flock on Sunday afternoons to the Lyceum Theatre), in order to imbibe civic culture and civic uplift, at the direct expense of the masses 0& Chinese, and lesser-masses of foreign taxpayers of the International Settlement.
Happily, as I consider it to have been, a few thinking persons poured douches of the cold water of pure common sense upon the flames of Mr. Harris's eloquent and uplifting blandishments, and if one cannot precisely congratulate the SMC. on being quite solvent today, it is undoubtedly much nearer solvency than it would have been, had Mr. Harris carried that meeting!
Arising out of this and the foregoing exegesis, I beg to point out to wide-awake ratepayers that the question of the Municipal Orchestra will be raised at the meeting, and that the hosts of civic culture (at other people's expense, and especially the Chinese masses, who pay their taxes too, be it noted!), will attend in full force to keep their precious Band on the pay-roll, if they possibly can.
I hope, therefore, that people who believe in common-sense economy of a practical and real description, will not confuse the good and gracious acts of Mr, Harris in proposing votes of thanks, with his, not-so-good advocacy of ridiculous extravagance (as per civic centre blurb), and his not-so-gracious advocacy of Municipal melody at the expense of the Chinese masses, as well as Foreign ratepayers.
With hundreds of thousands of desperately poor people swarming in the streets and alley-ways of this Chinese-cum-foreign city, it is, in my Positive opinion, a most presumptuous pose for anyone to chatter about "spiritual culture" for a few well-fed foreigners, when half the po-place actually have not sufficient nourishing food to give their children and themselves.
I hope there will be one man who will sound a clarion cry for common sense and common humanity at the annual meeting. y I had hoped to do so, but they won't let me in, so I-use this medium instead!
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.