361
No. 27
92
HONGKONG.
REPORT ON THE WIDOWS' AND ORPHANS' FUND FOR THE YEAR 1891-92.
Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Governor, on the 16th November, 1892.
REPORT ON THE WIDOWS' AND ORPHANS' FUND
for the 12 months, from 1st July, 1891, to 30th June, 1892.
SIR,We have the honour to submit the following report on the Widows' and Orphans' Fund for the period between 1st July, 1891, and 30th June, 1892.
The Fund was inaugurated under instructions from the Secretary of State for the Colonies contained in his despatch No. 110 of the 19th June, 1890, by which contribution to the Fund was made compulsory on all Officers appointed to the Service after the 31st December, 1890, and on those Officers not appointed from England who received an increase of 20 % to their salaries under the recent scheme of general increase to the salaries of public Officers in this Colony.
Owing to the fact that the new rates of pay for 1891 were not sanctioned in the Colony until June in the same year, no contributions towards the Fund were collected until the beginning of July, although The Widows' and Orphans' Pensions Ordinance, No. 30 of 1890, came into operation on the 1st of January, 1891.
The Fund, therefore, practically began its existence in July, 1891, although arrears of contri- butions have been, and are being, collected as from the 1st of January in that year.
A statement of the accounts of the Fund up to 30th June, 1892, is appended,
The whole of the receipts have been placed on fixed deposit in the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank, and each monthly collection is similarly dealt with.
The monthly contributions excluding arrears amount now to about $440.
During the period under review 4 Contributors left the Service, and 1 Contributor died. There are at present on the books 91 Compulsory Contributors and 1 Voluntary Contributor.
Of these 92 Contributors 22 are bachelors, 62 are married men, and 7 are widowers. There are no less than 111 children on the books, and it is probable that that number will be increased when the particulars required by section 20 of the Ordinance are received from 8 Contributors, who owing to their absence from the Colony or for other reasons have not as yet furnished them.
The average age of the three classes of Contributors (as far as it has been possible to calculate it) is as follows:-
Bachelors, Married men, Widowers,
....30 years.
...a fraction under 38 years. ....48 years and 4 months.
We have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your obedient Servants,
F. H. MAY,
Acting Chairman.
A. W. BREWIN.
F. MACHADO.
G. STAFFORD NORTHCOTE.
J. A. CARVALHO.
The Honourable
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY,
&C.,
&c.,
&c.