The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-05-10

rangle contains the stage at one end and the altar and image at the other ', Between the two is a space capable of lholding several hundred people, who lface one way when they gather there for fun and the other way when their lpurpose is serious.
 Among the buildings are many small rooms which, if no official use be re-
 qured of them, serve the purpose of sociability. These rooms seem never
 empty. Much of the leisure time of
 members is spent in them. That is
 where they meet their kind and where tea always tastes best. Of course tea
 capacity along with him, tho fire is nev-
 CT permitted to go out.
 The establishment of guilds by locali-
 ties multplies numbers of organiza- tlofls, but 1t serves to diversity custom
 and to make simple affairs that might
 otherwise be obscure. Tn Shanghai
 there is a Ningpo guild and Foo Chow
 guild and a Swatow guild, and so on.
 A native of one of those places is al-
 ways credited to that place. Therefis shoemaker here who on completing
 his work and receiving compliment on
 the way he has done'it, said "Oh yes;
 I belong Cantonese" "How long since you came to Shanghai" Twenty [ eight years"
 | That man IS of the Canton guild He does not look more than about thirty years old, and he certainly could never have learned anything of his trade at Canton; but his birthplace fixed his guild. He will take all the foreign or ders he can get, perhaps cutting prices with rival for them, but if a Ningpo
 man went into his shop-one brought
 here strapped to his mothers back as a
 baby and now bent with age--he would
 not dare fill an order for him. He re-
 lies on Canton men for his trade, and
 wishes no other Chinese customers
 Customers go to their own as matter
 of course for trade or for work of any kind Two men born in different places may be neighbors all their lives and the closest friends, but neither would think of soliciting the others trade or of ac- cepting it.
 If a Foo-Chow native were to send for Shanghai carpenter, the latter would wish to know why he did not get Foo-Chow man to do the work re- quired. Were there no Foo Chow car- penters here the work would be under- taken; not otherwise. Consequently there are guild houses for every place in which the settlers born in that place can afford one. They may have a guild without a house, but that is too much like an office in hat to suit native mo- tions of dignity and ceremony.
 In order to get a guild house no pri- vations are too great. A man will go without for himself or his family in or der to pay for house. This Is not of- ten required, for the best evidence rich man can give of his public spirit is by buying land and putting guild house on 1t for the use of his feddow townsmen. That is sure way to en- during popularity, and many avail themselves Of 1t. When house Is built, the members are supposed to sup port 1t, but that tax usually falls lightly and Is most cheerfully borne.
 All trouble between employers and those whom they hire fs reported to the guild, or to the section of 1t specially in that work. There may be in Shanghai guilds for different Shang- hai trades, put the birthplace guilds alitFades from that place. A | guild committee hears what the mem Der or members affected may say. and | If the cause seems worthy 1t goes to the | council charged with the general super vision of guild affairs. A committee nay decide against him, in which case 1e has redress to the council himself | although he will rarely try to vault ,ver a committee.
 Should the council decide to champion lis case an effort may be made to bring he employer to terms by persuasion. Falling in that, 1t will be only by nance that the employer can get his york done The guild which believes Is member wronged Is against him out ,ther guild will hold off because 1t is not heir pldgin.
 There Is law that reads well against boycott, but no man in China can com ,el another to work for him without a ontract arrangement, and Ingenious easons for not accepting work flow asily from the native tongue. if an is- ue is threatened over it. The law is eldom invoked on any such aceount. 'hinese regard their obligations toward ne another, and, as a sense of justice 3 pretty we'll implanted in the race, here Is seldom occasion for trouble.
 Whatever may be thought of the noral scruples of the people, the thing hat they call face, which covers much nore than honor or the reputation for onor, counts with them above every hing else. Loss of face lis the worst misfortune that can befall a native in he eyes of his own people The small radesmen will do up a foreigner with ut the slightest compunction but small nd large alike must save face among heir own.
 One who has no large or important ealings with Chinese may suffer expe- entcs that lead him to conclude that