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7. The main principles of the Ordinance are that, except in the case of the exempted temples, the revenues, funds, investments and properties of all Chinese temples shall be under the control of a strong Chinese Committee, presided over by the Secretary for Chinese Affairs, and that any surplus revenues remaining after providing for duo observance of the customary ceremonies and the main- tenance of the temple buildings and temple properties shall be applied for the purposes of Chinese charities in the Colony generally.
8. Control of this kind and with this object, though not by means of the same machinery, is not unknown at present. It has been tried, and tried successfully. One example is that of the Man Mo Temple, which is regulated by Ordinance No. 10 of 1908. Another example is that of the Han Wong Temple near Kowloon City. Ten years control of this temple has ro-ulted in a surplus sufficient to justify the use of it in muilding a new out-patient hospital in Kowloon City in connection with the Chinese Dispensary. This use of the balance was suggested by the representatives of the inhabitants of Kowloon City, and it is no doubt an illustration of the kind of policy which will be followed under the Ordinance.
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9. The definition of the term Chinese temple" natur- ally gave rise to considerable difficulty. The definition in section 2 of the Ordinance was worked out with the able assistance of the members of the District Watch Com- mittee. It is unusual in form in that it is based mainly on certain Chinese terms which are not defined. It is doubtful if these Chinese terms could be defined withiu reasonable limits, but it is not anticipated that any great difficulty will arise in the practical application of the definition of the term Chinese temple ".
10. Section 3 gives to the Chinese Temples Committee, which will be referred to in paragraph 13 below, power to make regulations for the control and management of Chinese temples. These regulations will be subject to the approval of the Governor in Council. They will also be laid on the table of the Legislative Council, and it will be possible for any member of that Coune to move for the rescission or amendment of any such regulation.
11. Section 4 provides that no temple which is in existence at the commencement of the Ordinance shall be maintained for a longer period than six months after such commencement unless it is in a building which is a com- plete and separate building and which is used for the pur- pose of the temple and for no other purpose. The same rule with regard to the nature of a temple building is applied also to all future temples. This is aimed at the class of temple referred to in paragraph 4 above. It is perhaps unnecessary, because the registration and control required by other sections of the Ordinance will probably be so distasteful to the promoters of this class of temple as to discourage them altogether from continuing in the business, but it forms an additional safeguard.
12. Section 5 requires the registration of all Chinese temples. Amongst the particulars required on registration are particulars of the funds of the temple and particulars as to the intended application of the revenue of the temple. The section makes it an offence for any person to take any part in the establishment, maintenance or management of an unregistered temple.
13. Section 6 provides that ti e revenues, funds, invest- ments and properties of all Chinese temples, except the exempted temples, shall, subject to the provisions of section 7 of the Ordinance, be under the control of a com- mittee which shall be known as the Chinese Temples Committee and which shall consist of the following per-
SOUS :-
(a) The Chinese members for the time being of the
Legislative Council.