Amongst the questions dealt wita by the Committee during the last year was the thorny one of piracy of copyright. It is a complex question, as there is no Law of Copyright in China and until such has been established and recognised there is nothing legally to prevent works which are copyright in other countries being printed locally without any regard to author's rights and royalties. The high cost of foreign imported books has given a tremendous impetus to this trade and, as will be realized from the many lists circulated in Shanghai, the business has grown to large proportions. The matter has been taken up as strongly as possible with the London Chamber of Commerce and the Chinese Government, and it is hoped that means may be found to stop- the
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conference of Chambers Chamber and China Association entertained Sir Herbert at a farewell at the Shanghai Club on communities in China for all that he had done for their interests during his Your Committee arranged a Conference of Chambers in China and Hongkong in April last year and work was put in hand to prepare various reports for submission to the delegates, Unfortunately, the uncertainty of transportation, especially from Hankow, made it impossible to arrange a week suitable to all delegates appointed by the Treaty ports. The holding of the Conference was therefore abandoned with regret, but a number of useful reports were received and the information contained therein has proved of very real value, I would like again to pay a tribute to the valuable assistance received from Mr. A. H. George during the time he held the office of Commercial Counsellor. His advice and guidance on many of the complicated problems with which we have beer confronted have been of very great assistance to your Committee. We are also grateful for the assistance given us by Mr. G. C. Pelham, who acted as Commercial Counsellor for a short period last winter. I would like to welcome Mr. J. C. Hutchison, our Commercial Counsellor and Vice President, very cordially on your behalf and thank him for what he has already done in assisting the Committee in many matters and especially over the matter of the very complicated Enemy Trading Regulations, To Mr. Baker, your indefatigable Secretary, Mr. Riley and the staff I would like to express our very sincere appreciation of the work they have done during a difficult year, The General Committee continued ill health, tendered his resignation, which the Committee ai cepted with much regret. His ret ment was made the occasion of the presentation of a silver tray by members of the Joint Committee and the Language School Sub-Committee, as a small token of the excellent work done by him during his ten years association with the School; since Mr. Lee's retirement, Mr. V. O. Riley, the Assistant Secretary of the Chamber, has acted as the supervisor of the School. The average attendance of pupils during the year was 25; 16 examinations were held in Shanghai, one in Tientsin, and one in Hongkong, and all candidates were successful—two gaining honours. The thanks of the Chamber are due to Mr. G. W. Creighton, for conducting the exi aminations in Shanghai and to the Rev, A. P. Cullen and Mr. R. Trounce The report and accounts. were adopted on the motion of Sir Robert Calder-Marshall, seconded by Mr. C.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.