The decision of the Amateur Dramatic Club to give an additional performance of their very successful production "Lilac "Time" is a wise tone, for though all the performances last week were played to practically full houses, there {must be still many people in Shanghai who will be anxious to avail themselves of the opportunity lof seeing probably the greatest A.D.C. success jin a couple of decades, Only one other production Is comparable with it, and that Is I"Tovariseh." Much of the success of the show Was due to the excellent production of Mr. Valin, the well-known Russian actor, who is to bbe congratulated on the manner in which he handied a large east and chorus and the very fine training he gave them, the very efficient drossing by Mrs. KB. Newman, and the stage settings Jot Messrs. C.'S. Speyer and Domracheft, though not a limite credit must go to the actors and Jactresses who s0 faithfully followed the wishes }of the producer. The decision of the committee the A.D.C. to stage a musical play was a wise lone, and it is to be hoped that they will not hesitate to do so again when the occasion seems propitious. Such productions form a welcome Jchange from the ordinary fare which Is generally produced. They are, it is apparent, much, more expensive to put on, and the return must. consequently be considerably less, but the yearly programmes of the A.C. can never be fully Founded out without the inclusion of at Toast tone musical production each season, There still a number of delightful musical comedies Jand light operas which the A.D.C, has never attempted, and other which they have, and which are well worth reproduction, 'The' Club Jwhich in years past has suffered from a paucity Jof musical talent would seem tobe entering upon another of those cycles in which it is rather more plentiful, and it would seem to be a wise Dolicy to avail' of It to the fullest. The passing years have clearly shown that the menace to the legitimate stage, which it was believed Jexisted in the "talkies," has proved to be nothing more than a bogey which has failed to materialize, If anything, the stage is stronger now than ever before. It has proved to be the [case in London and New York, and is certainly proving the same thing in Shanghai, The Beggar Nuisance The scheme evolved by the Shanghai Munielpal Council for the elimination of the beggar trouble will be welcomed as a constructive piece of work which appears to be capable of Doing carried into execution. The weak. side, of course, is that it has to depend upon the charity of this very charitable Shanghai which whi be called upon to provide an annual sum of Jone-and-a-hal€ lakhs of dollars it the work $s to be done oMeiently, So far as the rehabilitation of the beggars by educational means Jeoncerned there Is not the slightest doubt that a large proportion of the thousands of indigents who infest the local streets can with expert assistance, such as the Salvation Army is well qualified to give, be put into a way of again learning their own living. There will sull remain, that numerous class of professional beguay which in the years before the outbreak hostilities gave "the authorities very consider able trouble. At one time it was the practice to pick these people up and transport them quite distance outside the Settlement limits. They very soon found themselves back again in the jolty and all that had been accomplished was to put them to a certain amount of inconveni= These people, thoroughly well organized, mig spent their tives. in begging, will probably present the most diMeult problem, for they are not beggars by force of circumstances, but people who have adopted the profession is a recognized method of yaming a livelihood.
intended to Keep them in the beyer. camps until they are affected by a change of heart so well and good, If otherwise, they may ook upon their temporary residence in the camps as sort of holiday with everything found, and immediately upon their liberation for one cause or another, revert 0 their old method of earning a living. In view of the large number of destitute who are so by Vielwe of untoward "circumstance this should not in any way be allowed to detract from the probable success of the scheme which the Counetl puts forward. It is only mentioned to indicate, however, that the problem is not quite so easy as it would be if the professional beggar did hot form aa important proportion of the people who hang about the streets dependent upon the alms of the kindly disposed. Some method of dealing with them will have be devised to make sure that the activities of some of these gentle men who arrive at their pitches in rickshaws, will Ge brought to a termination, Gender Two children were walking tong and old gentleman came up to them and said, "Could you tell me where Mrs. Brown tives, said the little boy, "I don't know many people here, Tm an evacuee." The man then Baked the tittle gil, "I don't know, either," said the little gird shot "rin an evaeushe."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.