254
was to be run cheap. In 85 guests they had to find that remaining $2,500. He would like to express the hops there that there would never be any more occasion to term the Bill a charity ball. (Applause.) There should be no charity, If they could not pay for their own dances, then they should not have them. (Applause.) He had just put these for sag- gestions forward in the form of a motion becauso he was interested and had been asked to give his views first. (Applaus:.) | With regard to what the fill cost fast year, he might mention that if those members who did | not ask any guests were deducted, those remaining over paid an average of $12 each so that it was not cheap for them.
Mr. E. J. MAN thought Mr. Playfair's remarks would be understood if the mam- bers took into consideration what the Ball had been in former y ars. Formerly a member su'scribd. $20 and was allowed to invite two guests. Now it was suggested that the subscription should be 825 with the right to invite one guest. He believed tha' a great many members would subscriba under thes proposed new conditions, who were beginning t kick at the old. Cortainly the number of gusts invital to the Bill was far out of proportion to the accommodation provided by the rooms. Another matter was that the complimentary or free list should certainly be cut down, if not done away with altogether,
The CHAIRMAN remarked that the question under discussion had received fall consideration from the Committee. There was one thing they were all agreed upon and that was that nobody should be allowed to come in at S10 a head, because the cost was more than that. He agreed with Mr. Maiu as to cutting down the official list. But it could not be done away with altogether. You must ask the Governor and both Admirals, and Captains of ships, and as Mr. Playfair said, the Colouels and Majors. That was a matter that, he thought they might safely lear in the hands of the Invitation Committee. With regard to the other guests of the Society who heretofore had been asked that was to 8a3, well-known residents of Hougkong-the idea was that these iuritations should be done away with entirely. (Applause.) This $25 entitled the subscriber to ask either a bachelor friend or a married couple; apart from tat each guest must be paid for. He did not seg how the Ball could possibly be run otherwise, taking into consideration the exchange rate, prices of wines, etc. If he was not mistaken, the two guests each subscriber was entitled to have under the old arrangement had to be bachelor guests. The ladies were all asked free. So that there were to be no lady guests of the Society now at all. All civilians must be invited by a member and be paid for.
The HON. SECRETARY added that it was to be remembered that the old $20 subscription covering two guests had to meet quite a different expense compared with nowadays.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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Mr. R. MITCHELL was afraid that if no ladies were given compliment ry tickets it would be a question whether a sufficient number would be present to make it a dancing Ball. There might be all bachelors and no ladies in the place. Hon. Mr. PLAYFAIR--Oh they wil all be paid for. (Laughter.)
had been decidel that the tick-ts should each bear a counterfoil which would have to ba prosented a' thì đươ....
Hon. Mr. PLAYFAIR-I suppose it is tiba understood that daughters are inc'udel in the term "married couple?
į
The CHAIRMAN - low many? (Laughter) Hoa. Mr. PLAYFAIR--I have not got a dancing daughter myself yet, but there may be two in a honge-and we can't help it. (Moro laughter.)
The CHAIRMAN —YOA I think that will by all right.
[Octobər 6, 1902.
The CHAIRMAN, in thinking the members for the honour they hid doue him, sail that to be alacfed Prosideat of the S. Andrew's Society of Hagzong was an honɔne that fell to the lot of few Sestima in th Far East and an honour to be reilly proud of. In a way it was the hall mark of the Society. He would do his very bist to fulfil their expectations and h again sincerely thanked them. (Applause.)
Mr. W KIDD propel that loa. R Showan he elected to th: im orant post of Vic Presi- don'. To a lagkong andions it would be entirely unnery and per ap: invidious t› Mr. R. MITCHELL moved as a further amendsay anything in putting forward such a motion, ment that the subscription by 821 and the foo and he left it with every confilmes.to the for euch additional guast Si. People who meting. wanted to ask their friends wuid subs rib iu order to do so.
The HON. SECRETARY pointed out that that was making no alt ration on last year. If it could be worked out to proluso" $5,900), • it would be quits satisfactory, but he did not sex how it could by dong
Mr. MUCHELL sagested that perhas Mr. Wood was going on the basis of having 1,201 people present.
The HON. SECRETARY-N...
Mr. MITCHELL remarked at the chances wore that they would have a more successful Ball with a limit of 8. The expenses would be less, and a greater number of inmbers would subscriby and betr N fair proportiou of the expense. (Hear, hear)
The HON. SECRETARY statel that with regard to the supper it was chargal up at the rate of 550 guests, so there was no competition there. The only thing on which some reduction might be effected Wai champagno and as that only cam to 800 last year he was afraid the reductim wonld not be much. It was a question of getting the money; were there too much, it had always a nice place to go to in the Charity Fauds.
*
Mr. H. F. CARMICHAE!, asked if the Hon. Secretary could inform the meeting how much the practice dances cost in the way of lignor?
The HON. SECRETAR, replied that the cost was between $200 and $300.
Mr. CARMICHARL sugg sted that it would be advisable to introduce a system of checks.
The Hon. SECRETARY remarked that if the Ball were run on the lines now proposed they could not have more thau about two practice dances, bocatise it would take a considerable time to find out who were going. Befors, there was always the free lis'.
The question of the conduct of the practice dances was referred to the Committe.
Mr. J GALT seconded Mr. Mitchell's amend ment. Het ought 82) was quite sufficient to cover all the expenses necessary.
Captain G. C. ANDERSON said that the Committee had come to a different conclusion after the most careful consideration of the
matter.
Mr. GALT contended that they should curtail the invitations. He thought 80 quite sufficio it. Captain G. C. ANDERSON-But the Com- mitteo have not to think; they must be sure. (Laughter.)
Mr. D. R. Law also said that $25 was the least the Committee considered to be a safe figure.
Mr. E. J. MAIN seconded the motion. Hon. W. HATHAM-What would be the fee appeared to him the Committee had come thero chargeable for each a ditional guest?
The CHAIRMAN-It has been put at $5. Hou. Mr. CHATHAM asked if it would not be preferable to increase the fee for each additional guest and make the subscription a little less than $25. This subscription might prereut some people from participating who were reasonably entitled to do so. He would propose that the subscription be reduced to $20, in- cluding one guest or a married couple, and that $71 be charged for each additional guest.
Mr. GERSHOM STE FART asked if the Com. mittee had any proposal to make in the matter? The CHAIRMAN intimated that the proposal put forward by the Mr. Playfair embodied their unanimous resolutiou.
Mr. R. MITCHELL suggested that the cards of invitation be taken at the door. He believed it had been the custom previously for many people to go to the Balls who had not been in vited.
had
The CHAIRMAN said that matter been before the Committee and that it
|
Mr. W. STEWART suggested warmly that it
with the whole thing cut and dried. What was the use of members coming there at all? (A Voc That's what the Committee's for," and laughter).
On a vote bing taken between Hon. Mr. Playfair's motion and Mr. Mitchell's amend ment, the motion was carried by a large majority. Hon. Mr. Chatham's amendment was not secouded and fell to the ground accord- ingly.
The Bal will take place on Friday, 28th November; S. Audrew's Day this year falling upon the Sunday.
Mr. GEESHOM STEWART mored that Mr. H. W. Robertson be elected President for the ensuing year. (Applause) Mr. Robertson had had the benefit of the experience of being Vice-President, he had shown that evening that he knew how to occupy the chair, and he was young enough yet to dance reels and show people how to do it. (Applauss.)
Mr D. R. Law seconded, and the motion was carried unanimously.
I
Hon. W. CHATHAM SACоade 1.
Mr. II. F. Carmichas moved that Hon. G W. F. Play fair be elected.
Mr. T. 1. REID s coudad.
Hou. Mr. PLAYFAIR, however, asked leave to withdraw his name.
The olection of Hon. Mr. Shewan Was cacriod unanimously.
Hon. Mr. SHEWAN, in acknowledging thə honour, said he had not known until Air: Kidd spoke that the post of Vice-President was so important; he had always thonght the Vice. President had nothing to do. (Laughter.) Dr. Johuson who was a very disagreeable
and ຄII
when ho Englishman, said mu returned from his visit to Sc.tland that the ouly nice thing he saw there was the road to England. (Laughter.) As he had said. Dr. Johnson was a very disagreeable man and, be was sorry t think, was encouraged by a Scots- man who flattered and toaled to him, road to which Dr. Johnson had referred hid
Put that
ben travelled now by many and many good Scotsmen and would be travelled by many more who would find on their way little societies. like their own. Even Samuel Johnson would have opened his eyes if he had seen things as they were to-day, with the Canadian Pacifio Company nnning from England to Vancouver from Vancouver to Hongkong and back again to England. Well, they had insisted on his being a Scotsman and he would not dispute it with them. He had attempted it one day with the Secretary and the language that the latter used was so rehem tad violent that he gave it up in despair (laughter), and allowed the Cockuey to be butchered to make a Scotsman's holiday. (Laughter and applause) the first place Ho might tell them in that bis
were Aberdonians and, parents
Aberdoniaus beliered, gool
at that. ha That did not help him much. But it came to this, that while Scotsmen kusw that Aberdeen was in Scotland, Abardouians had an impression that the greatest and better part of Scotland was in Aberdeen. (Applause.) In ths second place although they might not believe it, he was brought up as a strict Presbyterian. (Laughter.) That, he thought, ong it to count
iu the third as something in his position. place he could assure them that he had a strong partiality for driak (laughter); and fourthly and lastly, he was a great admirer of the Psalms of David. Why D.vid in particular should be such a great favouritə with all Scotsmen he had never been abl quite to understand, He supposed it was because David was a little bit of a black. guard. (Laughter.) He was certainly, like another sweet singer of whom they were all pron, rather an impropar parson in private life (lughter), and devoted far too much time to women, wine and song. Certainly they both lored dancing. He thought David was caught dancing by his wife with Michael-not the Michael the Dock Company needed to be afraid of. (Laughter) And they all know that Barus loved dancing, how he was ever at
his best-
When, to the stented string,
and he was sure that both of these worthies, if they had been living to-day-ho was sorry they were not-would have been very willing to put up $25 to go to the Ball; and when it was considered how large a number of wives and families they had, it would have been dirt ch ap for them. (Laughter and applause.) He did not think that David or Burns would have approved their Vice-President, He thought they would have done much better to have taken Mr. Carmichael's mominee, but
The dance ga'ed thro' the lich'it ha';
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