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THE VALUE OF EXAMS.
PROFESSOR FORSTER'S' 'VIEW OF THE QUESTION.
.
TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 1929.
CRACKER FIRING.
"WHAT THE "CHINESE "ARE DOING IN SINGAPORE.
SYMBOLS IN ART.
LECTURE AT THE HENELA MAY INSTITUTE;
The value of examinations was Old customs. ¿chango' with Many interesting, sidelights on discussed by Professor Le Forster, changing years, even with the Chinese superstitions and folklore M.A., at the Arst general meeting Chinese, and cracker firing will were given by Mr. C.A.S. Williams, soon be a thing of the past. of the University Arts Associa- These are the views of a leading of the Chinese Maritime Customs,. tion, which was held at the Un-member of the China-born Chinese when he lectured at the Helens versity last night under the chair- community of Singapore. It May Instituto yesterday on ““Chi-,
might interest many to know, that, noso Symbolic Art" manship of Mr. Lee Pui-tong.
led by their more enlightened Professor Forster prefaced his brethren, a large section of the
He said the Chinese were all lecture by thanking them for, ha Chinose ara endeavouring to dis- fond of a colourful display and relection as President of the new courage cracker fring. Definito were actors or artists at heart.
ly-formed Association,
steps have been taken by various Even the poor were prepared to Dealing with, the subject of his Chinese bodies and a dew days address, the speaker said it was ago a joint meeting of the various spend comparatively large sums of Chinese guilds and associations money for the purpose of making felt in some quarters that the in Singapore passed...a resolution a show at weddings, funerals and greatest advances in education at the present time were being made to give up the out-of-date practico symbolic designs
recommending the Chinese peonie on other similar occasions when were used. in those spheres where examina of cracker firing. Further, Such designs might also be seen tions had no sway. He pointed Chincas newspaper has published to the tremendous improvement a leading article on the same lines in architecture, on embroideries during the last 20 years in the and hand bille have been dis- and such like. kindergarten schools, which
was "tributed with statements request- Mr. Williams produced a number. such as to make them entirelying the Chinese" to avollah, the of Chinese symbolic designs and different from and superior to practice. Tlle renhofis given for explained their history and mean- what they were. He also denit these steps are that cracker firing hig, saying that the dragon was with adult education, remarking is in no way connected with any the chief of the 366 species of that that was another sphere questions of religion. It is mere scaly reptiles. The dragon was where examinations played no ly an old custom and the people credited with the power of being part: Education in Great Britain are asked to realise that it is a able to make itself invisible. It had advanced by leaps and bounds custom which has nothing to re-lived-on swallow's flesh, and, died in, the last few years, while in commend it. The practice is de- of its own accord. Mr. Williams certain spheres, such as music and nounced ne being wasteful, use pointed out that the Chinese cont- handiwork, examinations had play-less and meaningless.
of-arms once consisted of two ed no part.
dragons fighting for a pearl.
Kince.
He also spoke of the progress
most honourable of the feathered The phoenix, he bald, was tho tribo. Its feathers were
red, yellow, blue, white and black and its song was supposed to represent the pipes. The phoenix appeared in times of prosperity- and good Government. It was used by the Empresses of China as a decora live motif in costumes, while head dresses were sometimes made in its shape,
Symbol of Long Life,
It is a noteworthy fact that there is under consideration a pro- He went on to say that another posal to send a petition to the reason why he thought the ques-Government to set aside only one tion had come so much to the front recently was because people day as a holiday on Chinese New Year, Further, the Chinese who escaped examinations rose lo
schools are reducing the New Year positions of considerable import holiday term from one month to a week. A great deal of the en- thusiasm of the Chinese people of the education of women, point-themselves over the celebrating of the New Year has already ing out that they were more do-
dwindled. It seems, and even eile than men and were more amenable to disciplino. The
cracker firing,, if it does still exist to a degree guffelent, to ruffle the education of women had develop- ed very considerably in the last nerves of the non-Chinese, is now not nearly na hut as it used to be 40 years. They had responded to
a comparatively short while ago. the pressure put upon them and
Time was when the sweeping of their standard had been raised and raised until they had created,rent crackers before the front doors of the average Chinese a position for themselves which houses, would have filled a bullock was becoming rather difficult, if cart. This year it was not 80, not intolerable.
These were: the days when the ordinary small packets of crackers Mr. Williams proceeded to deal were considered below standard. with the animals corresponding to Chains of ernekers were made so the signs of the Zodiac, and said that they could be trailed out of the lion did not appear in primi- a window oi tothe street below.tive art but was introduced in A.D. The regulations or lack of them-67 in connexion with the Buddhist permitted firinkt a quite an early religion. It was the emblem of hour time in fact, when valoak and energy, but It was also traffic was ill on the streets regarded as a playful creature. and pedestrians plentiful: As depicted in Chinese art it could. Gradually it has lessenet, The Ue compared with the heraldio eignul for Crackers' his decreasjon rather than the monster of
considerably, and 'Actual Indul- the jungle.
Authoritative Opinjons. After commenting that those were some of the reasons wit the ques- tion of examinations was under review, and pointing out that there was not much literature on the point, Professor Forster quoted the view of Mr. II. A. L. Fisher, lending educational expert in England, given In 1888, when he expressed the opinion that examinations were not harmful Last year, however, he had said that examinations were becoming an incubus and were turning the energies of the scholastic world into a channel which was not de- sirable,
The speaker went on to quote other authorities on the subject, and mentioned men who had fals fied the label of second and third élags which their univeraitics hnd fut upon them. He traced the history, as far as was known, of expuninations, and continued to deal with American scrutiny af the problem. The examination ayatem, he said, might have its defects, but it was better than al- lowing people to succeed by in- fluence, as was formerly done.
During the course of his ad- dress, Professor Forster also dealt with the result of set examina- tions preventing pupils from de- veloping original and virile minds.
Chinese Example.
In dealing with the early days of examinations, he gave an in- stance of the Chinese enthusiasm
The 'unicorn was the symbol of i long life and wise administration: while the tortoise, chief of the shelly animals, was the emblem of the universe, long life and strength. It was said that writing was invented from the markings on the back of the tortoise.
tence in the practice is obviously The deer was beloved to liye to on the decline.
a great are and was another Since there is evidence of this emblem of long life: To eat deer. wish on the part of Chinese them-spawn in old age prolonged ex- solves that the custom be done istence. The hare was also # away with, it is reasonable to symbol on porcelain, and tradition hope that the advent of the Chin-asserted that in addition to a man ese New Year will before long in the moon there was a women, a arouse no more. irritation on, the, bird and a white rabbit or hare. part of those do whom cracker firing is distasteful.-S. F. Preas.
J
PROPERTY SALES.
CROWN LAND ADJOINING PRINCE EDWARD ROAD.
Celebrated Bleds.
Next to the phoenix the crane was the most celebrated bird, the Įdėsign' sometimes being placed on top of a coffin in the belief that the bird would carry the soul of the deceased to Paradíac. A cock was Bupposed to be a protection against' fire, while a red one repelled evil influences. +
One of the largest building lots
The bat was also an emblem of sold for some time was yesterday long life, the stewed flesh being bought by Mr. "Ho Lut-harp, a
a cure for weak eyesight and retired Chinese Army officer, at
public auction held at the Land senility. The bat was made so Offices of the Public Works De-rate in some designe that it ap partment. Registered as Kowioon peared to resemble a butterfly. Inland Lot No. 2175, it is situated. Dealing with the fishes, Mr. at the junction of Lai Chi Kok Williama said they were emblems Road,. Prince Edward Road and of wealth and abundance. A fish Tone MI Rond, and has an area of was also the symbol of regenera- 80,000 square feet...N
tion, and had also come to be the emblem of harmony and connubiai
and reverence. for examinations, An extraordinarily large number.
the
of Chinése attended the sale, in
1.
bliss,
Religious Emblems.
The pench was the emblem of marriage, and the symbol of fm- mortality and springtime, the pine the emblem of long life, and the willow symbolical of the fair nex owing to its suppleness." The plant of immortality was the fungus found growing at the roots of trees, and was depicted in stone work, sculpture and painting.
na contained in the Peking Gazette of the Spring of 1889. Ife quoted consequence of which it was Trecs provided the Chinese following"The Governor expected that keen bidding for the with many of their finest designs General of the province reported Jota most attractive one-would for porcelain; while flowers were that at the autumnal examination result. This however did not often highly conventionalised. in Foochow nine candidates.nyer materialise, there being only one 80 years of age and two over 90. offer, at the upset price of $186,000, went through the prescribed terla The purchaser, Mr. Ho Lul-harp. and sent in essays of which the ave his address as 26, Hing Hon composition was good and, the Road. handwriting firm and distinct. The rice works out. at $170
The speaker continued. "Aged per square foot. candidates, it says, who have The purchaser, in required. by passed through an Interval the conditions of his purchase, to of 60 years from attaining their expend $444,000 on the site in Bachelor degrees and who have rateable Improvements; the faca attended the three last examinades of any buitings to be erected tions for the higher degrees are, abutting on any of the three Mr. Williams algo dealt with the if successful the fourth time, en principal roads, nomied above to be numerous forms of borders, used titled to an honorary degree. The subject to the approval of the by the Chinese, in their dislike for Governor of Honan, in like mar
Director of Public Works,
blank and undecorated apaces in nor; reported 13 candidates over Another pleco of land registered works of art... Dealing with the 80 years of age, all of whom went as Kowloon Inland Lot No. 1207, swastika form of design, he said through the whole nine daya order situated between Kowloon Inland the symbol was supposed to have. and wrote essaye which were por Lots Non, 383 and 221, Tin Liu fallen from heaven engraved on a |fectly accurate. În diétión and Street, Shamsulpo, was disposed slab of marble,.
showed no signs of falling..years. of at the upset price of $11,885, He described the Taoist and But even this astonishing, record the purchaser being Mr. Wong Buddhist emblems, and gave their was surpassed in the province of Yu-tung, a merchant of 48, Bon-meanings, and concluded by mak Anhui, where 36 were over 80ham Strand East.
years of age and 18 were over 90,".-.
At the meeting the Hon. Dr. 8. W. Teo, Mr. W. W. Hornell and Mr. Kwok Sfu-lau were electod Hon. Vice-Presidents and Hon. Members. Other Hon,, Membors elected were Mr. H. X. Woo, Mr, A. H. Crook, Mr. W. Kay, the Hon. Dr. III. Kötewall; Mr. Fung. Pingisan and Mr. Ng Wa
LETTER GOLF SOLUTION..
Here is the solution to the puzzle on another page. MONEY, HONEY, HONKS, HANKS, TALICS,
HONES, TANKS
ing a brief reference to some Chf- nese superstitions such as the placing of a lock round a child's nuck with the object of securing the child to life
In conclusion he said that symbolism and emblematic motifs played a big part in the lives of the Chinese people, and also in their folklore and religion.
The lecture was mych appreciat. led by the audience.
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