tical co-operation will be made possible between all interested organisations.
Another significant event in 1949 was the establishment of a purely consultative Standing Conference of all youth organisations, in which the Social Welfare Office and Educa- tion Department have the status of full members equal to the seven other voluntary member-organisations. This Con- ference has already taken a leading part in initiating or furthering some of the progress noted above, and in achieving greater co-ordination between youth organisations.
The reorganisation and expansion of the Probation Service, together with certain other reforms in the treatment and rehabilitation of juvenile delinquents, still awaited the arrival of a qualified Probation Officer, but meanwhile the voluntary Juvenile Care Committee appointed two lay Court Missioners to be at the disposal of the Magistrates should the latter require their services. These appointments proved of considerable value in helping the magistrates and probation officers in dealing with many of 31,000 juvenile defendants who were charged during the year. The vast majority of these juveniles were charged with unlicensed hawking or kindred offences; only 16% were found guilty of more serious crimes.
The Social Welfare Office and its Role
The Social Welfare Office was established as a specialised sub-department of the Secretariat for Chinese Affairs in August 1947, but since the beginning of 1948 it has in prac- tice been granted administrative and financial independence except in the exercise of certain legal powers vested in the Secretary for Chinese Affairs as Protector of Women and Girls and delegated by him to the Social Welfare Officer.
The Social Welfare Office's principal responsibilities included public assistance measures and emergency relief work in the event of a fire or typhoon, official liaison with all voluntary charitable organisations except hospitals or schools, child welfare, protection of women and girls, welfare of other vulnerable groups and of unsuccessful suicides, youth welfare work, the probation service, family case-work, merchant seamen's welfare, surveys and squatter screening, repatriation, kaifong and urban community development, financial control over government charitable subventions, plans for the training locally or abroad of social workers, and consultation with the official Social Welfare Advisory Committee over recommendations for Government's long and short term social welfare policies. One of the most important duties is the encouragement of local voluntary self-help through close and friendly liaison and through the provision of such technical advice or other services as may be required.
84