Of all the many attacks which have been made upon the Shanghai Municipal Orchestra, and there have been many during the Nast twenty years, that which correspondents have made within the last few days is probably the most Impressive. The late Dr. W.-E. O'Hara, shortly before his death, raised the question of the retention of the orchestra in the ight of very definite hospital requirements for the poor, and correspondents to this journal) have returned to the charge. It has to be admitted that'so long as the destitute are unable to obtain medical and hos~ pital treatment the maintenance of an orches-fra, especially in times like these is an un-Warranted luxury. If the community as a whole were carrying out Its duties to the poor and under-privileged, and were then able to afford the services of a highly capable, professional orchestra there would appear to be ttle reason why it should not have one. But correspondents contend that that is not the tease and that continuance of the services of the Orchestra cannot now be justified.
There is much indeed to support that view. Already there is very considerable distress in Shanghai. "It may confidently be expected to imerease unless a stop can be put to the ever-of living. 'That does not at the -moment appear to be likely, and there must be general agreement with the argu~ ment that the time has come for' a recon~ sideration of the situation. The contention may be advanced that the half a million dol~ Tars, which it is reported the Orchestra is now costing the ratepayers, would not go a very fong way towards alleviating the great amount of distress which prevails in Shang-hal, With that view there will doubtless be complete agreement, but those arguing in favour of abolition of the orchestra would doubtless retort that conditions being what they are, and suffering being so widespread, there cannot be the slightest justification for continuing to maintain a luxury which gives @ certain amount of enjoyment to-a Very small proportion of the people who live in Shanghai 'The plea has' not been revived yet, but it a very common one, that if the Orchestra were abolished Shanghai would lose the only vestige of culture left to it. The realists, and those: who. fully comprehend the ugliness of the present situation, will reply that culture does nothing fo fill empty bellies. and of those there are daily thousands in the streets of Shanghai. When It {s reported hat last month over 2,800 dead bodies, of which more han 2,000 were children were picked up in. the streets of this city only the slightest in-Aication of the prevalent misery is given. Incidentally it might be pointed out that the seating accommodation of the Lyceum Theatre, amounting to about 720 places, is such that if It were full at every performance for a month. the total attendance would be very few more than the destitute dead picked up during September, Weigh those two facts together fand It. becomes. apparent that those who desire the abolition, or at the least temporary suspension of the orchestra have. very much of a case in their favour, especially as the number of dead to be picked up may be expected to increase during the winter.
How those favouring abolition can_ best bring their case before the Provisional Coun-. jell is a matter which needs consideration. That body has had delegated to it all the powers vested in the ratepayers in annual [meeting assembled, and they are under no obligation whatever to call such a meeting. Tu the circumstances the supporters of the orchestra are rather more firmly entrenched than they have ever been before, and it is possible that only by an overwhelming demonstration of public opinion, favouring the abolition of the orchestra, and the diversion lof the money so saved towards the relief of the destitute that anything is likely to be done. There also remains the question of whether if that were effected the Provisional Couneit would be, justified in diverting that money to charitable purposes, though possibly in the present unprecedented situation that should -not be allowed to weigh too heavily upon that body. It needs, however, to be emphasized that the ratepayers, when they had the matter entirely in their own hands failed to get rid of the Orchestra and the Provisional Council may very well be reluctant to take steps, which their constituents always had the power to take, but which they annually refrained from taking.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.