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continued to serve the community throughout the year. orphanages cared for approximately 2,500 orphans, whilst three old persons' homes, two homes for blind women and a school for deaf and dumb children were in operation. In addition to these institutions, most of which were in receipt of government subventions through the Social Welfare Office, voluntary associations were active in giving direct assistance to needy individuals on a case-work basis. Measures for the more effective coordination of the efforts of such agencies were at the end of the year under consideration by the Hong Kong Council of Social Services.
In general applications for direct assistance became more numerous towards the end of the year. Decreasing economic activity was reflected by many requests for help in finding work, but it was unfortunately not possible either for official or for private agencies to satisfy more than a very small proportion of these requests.
Probation Work
The Social Welfare Office's staff of probation officers was increased during the year and they continued to be concerned primarily with the problems of juvenile deliquency. In mid-1951 the Government decided to set up two new official institutions in connexion with this work, the first being a remand home and place of detention for juveniles and the second an approved school for boys, which would take the place of the existing reformatory and would be under the administration of the Social Welfare Office. Plans to this end were in hand at the end of the year. Meanwhile the probation officers were gaining experience and confidence and some encouraging results were achieved.
Squatters
A
A survey of the squatter situation completed in March showed that the Colony had about 300,000 squatters living in 47,000 huts. plan was prepared for the resettlement of these by degrees in a number of areas, of which 16 are permanent bungalow towns and three were designed as semi-permanent hut settlements the inhabitants of which would gradually move out into workers' housing schemes (or back to China when conditions there permit).
In both types of settlement planned lay-outs are being followed in the construction of dwellings, each row of which is being separated by fire lanes. Water and sanitation are provided and arrangements made for policing and administration.
A new sub-department under the Urban Council was set up in July to prepare the resettlement scheme, and at the close of the year the
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