HISTORY
was excluded from all government schools which be- came secular. A central school was established, the Headmaster of which became the head of the Education Department. In 1873, a grant-in-aid scheme was introduced to help the religious bodies; at first the grants were based on secular subjects only, but in 1879, more liberal treatment was given.
The next period in the Colony's history, 1882-1914, may be defined as the period of steady administration and growing prosperity. The main lines of policy had now been laid down, and the period was one of all- round steady growth and progress. The coming of the bubonic plague, in 1894, shook the Colony's com- placency, and there was a serious exodus of Chinese from the Colony to the mainland. Drastic measures were necessary, involving house visitation, lime- washing, and treatment of infected premises. This created opposition among the Chinese who still evinced a complete lack of faith in the efficacy of western medicine.
In 1899, the area of the Colony was increased by the leasing from China of the new Territories and surrounding islands, and here again the policy was to bring orderly administration; for example, detailed land surveys were made in an attempt to ascertain ownership of land, with the minimum of interference with local customs. The pre-war years were remarkable for two great advances in education. In 1903, a new education code was drawn up, abolishing the system of basing the payment of grants to the voluntary schools on annual examinations, and substituting annual ins- pections as the basis. Payment by results had been abolished in England in 1890, and the Colony therefore was coming into line with developments at home. The other great advance was the founding of Hong Kong
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