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9. The principal complaints that I have received from members of the community have been regarding the annoyances caused by (a) so called Chinese religious ceremonies accompanied by music and the firing of crackers, (b) mendicancy in the streets and (c) the want of regulation of the street traffic.
As regards (a), the permits authorising the musical entertainments, cracker firing, &c. are issued by the Registrar General.
The Head of this Department is consulted before the issue of a permit, but the expression of his adverse opinion does not appear to carry much weight.
Many years ago one of my predecessors, Mr. C. MAY, gave it as his opinion (Police Report for 1885) that the granting of such permits should be vested in the Executive Police, an opinion in which I agree.
With regard to (b), I would mention that in no less than 467 instances have beggars been charged with mendicancy before the Magistrate by the Police, the result being either that the mendicants were punished with a 50 cent fine or given a passage to Canton out of the poor box. It is needless to say that
many of the beggars returned again and again to the Colony and no doubt will continue to do so. I do not consider that in proportion to its population this City is more infested by beggars than the average European City, but if it is desired to rid the island of beggars altogether some more effectual means of dealing with them must be devised than at present exists. Twenty-one years ago Mr. DEANE suggested the establishment of a Lazarette on Round Island off Stanley, for the confinement of beggars. It would depend altogether upon the principle upon which such an institution were conducted whether it would prove an attraction or the reverse to beggars. If it were made unattractive I believe that by its means the influx of mendicants might be stopped, and in the absence of co-operation, which it appears impossible to secure, on the part of the Chinese Authorities on the mainland in sending beggars to their homes and preventing their return to the Colony, it seems to be the only way of dealing finally and satisfactorily with the matter.
As regards (e), the Police have made considerable efforts to improve the regulation of the traffic. The jinricksha and chair coolies now understand the rule of the road, and, as far as my personal observation goes, observe it very well. Rushing at passengers with chairs and jinrickshas still continues in spite of innumerable prosecutions for this offence, as many as twenty drawers and drivers having been charged and fined by the Magistrate in one morning in the early part of the last year.
But it has been found that wherever a Constable is not present, or whenever his back is turned, the drawers or drivers will seize the opportunity of repeating the offence, and as it is manifestly impossible to have more than a limited number of Constables on regulation of traffic duty, it is extremely difficult to put a stop to the annoyance.
The only real remedy is for members of the community to co-operate with the Police by giving into custody offenders who rush at them with their vehicles.
Much assistance can similarly be given to the Police by persons, who are in the habit of driving, taking the numbers of jinrickshas that they may see breaking the rule of the road and prosecuting the drawers. The mere reporting of the numbers of offending vehicles would be of much assistance to the Police, as the renewal of the licences of drawers or drivers who had been complained of could be refused.
One of the principal causes of obstructions to traffic in the Queen's Road is the habit all classes of pedestrians have of walking in the middle of the street instead of on the footpaths.
Europeans are no better than Chinese in this respect, and perhaps the worst offenders are Soldiers and Sailors who walk frequently five and six abreast and thus block the entire roadway.
The Police have used every endeavour to induce Chinese coolies to keep to the footpaths but without effect.
The law of the Colony provides no penalty for this particular form of obstruction, and the Hong- kong Chinese coolie knows no respect for any one who has no immediate power over him.
10. Turning to the interior economy of the Force, of which I took charge on the 11th of February last, I am happy to say that the conduct of the Force as a whole has been very satisfactory.
In the Chief Inspector and Inspectors the Colony possesses a body of men of whom it may well be proud, and they have done their work during the past year in a most loyal, faithful, and able
manner.
No report has been made during the entire year against any Sergeant or Acting Sergeant and they have, without exception, performed their duty in a most satisfactory manner.
J
The conduct of the European Constables has, with few exceptions, been very good. There were 74 reports during the year against members of this branch of the Force as against 114 in 1892. Making allowance for the number of Constables being on the average seven less than in the previous year, the percentage of decrease was about 27 per cent.