Social Services
The Secretary for Chinese Affairs is a senior administrative officer and has a wide and general responsibility in all matters affecting the Chinese community. The Commissioner of Labour is responsible for ensuring that the conditions in factories and work- shops, particularly with regard to health and safety, are in accordance with the requirements of existing legislation, for providing concilia- tion machinery for the settlement of disputes about wages and other terms of service, for the encouragement of modern trade unionism, and for the implementation of such International Labour Conventions as can be applied to the Colony. The Social Welfare Officer operates under the general direction of the Secretary for Chinese Affairs, and among his duties are included the protection of women and girls, the inspection of emigrant ships, the supervision of child and juvenile welfare and the general coordination of all welfare activities in the Colony.
The Director of Medical and Health Services, whose department is divided into the hospital, health and investigation divisions, assisted by the Head of the Sanitary Department is responsible for the general health of the Colony and for the provision of vital statistics. The Head of the Sanitary Department is ex-officio the Chairman of the Urban Council which has certain powers, subject to confirmation by the Legislative Council, to originate subsidiary legislation in matters concerning public health.
Education is in the hands of the Director of Education who controls government schools and supervises all private schools in the Colony.
Communications
The Director of Marine, the Director of Civil Aviation and the General Manager of the Kowloon-Canton Railway are responsible for sea, air and rail traffic respectively while the Director of Public Works, in addition to his duties in connexion with the construction and maintenance of government buildings, the supervision of other buildings, waterworks, piers and government transport, is responsible for the construction and maintenance of the Colony's roads.
The Postmaster General is responsible for the collection and delivery of mail and also controls Radio Hong Kong. The Observatory is under the charge of the Director of the Royal Observatory.
Law and Order.
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The Attorney General is the adviser to Government on all legal matters and is also the public prosecutor. The Registrar General is the officer responsible for the registration of companies, trade marks, marriages and land deals and is also the Official Receiver and Official Trustee. Watch and ward in the Colony is kept by the Commissioner of Police, while the Colony's prisons are the responsibility of the Commissioner of Prisons. The Chief Officer of the Fire Brigade has an efficient and up-to-date force under his command.
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