392
REGISTRATION OF HOUSEHOLDERS.
(Ordinance No. 13 of 1888, Chapter III.)
Table VI A is a return of the number of householders certificates issued and of the number of changes of tenancy reported during the year.
Table VI B is a return of the number of shops opend and closed. From this table it will be seen that 1,199 shops were opened and 837 shops closed.
NIGHT-PASSES.
(Ordinance No. 13 of 1888, Chapter VI.)
1,294 applications for the issue of quarterly night-passes were received and dealt with during the year, and 233 new annual passes were issued.
PERMITS.
(Ordinance No. 13 of 1888, Chapter V.)
The nature and number of the perinits issued during the year were as follows :-
To erect sheds,
To fire crackers,
To hold processions,
To perform theatricals,
SURETIES REFERRED FOR Report.
94
.332
438
The number of sureties referred to this Department for report during the year was 921. They were distributed as follows:-
Harbour Department,
Magistracy,...
Police Department,
Botanical and Afforestation Departinent,.
Supreme Court,
Crown Solicitor,
471
174
.239
2
29
6
921
DISTRICT WATCHMEN.
A full statement of the revenue and expenditure for the year is given in Table VII (A), and the state of the force on the 31st December and other particulars will be found in table VII (B).
The District Watchmen were instrumental in bringing 337 cases before the Police Magistrate, and the Committee is indebted to the Chinese papers, the Tsun Wan Yat Pó and to the Wai San Yat Pó, for continuing to publish weekly lists of these cases for the information of the subscribers to the District Watchmen Fund.
The
The contributions to the Fund were larger than those in 1894, being $7,552.20 compared with $7,508.10. The actual expenditure was $10,004.22 compared with $9,341.51 in 1894. balance to the credit of the Fund is $13,408.26. The loss on exchange amounts to $86.23. Of this sum $64.03 are due to the discount at which the Chinese subsidiary coinage stands. The contributions are voluntary, and being made for a private purpose it is impossible to require payment in Hongkong coins. The amount received in Chinese coins was $5,617.40 whilst only a sum of $607.10 was collected in Hongkong coin.
The assistance rendered by members of the district watchmen force during the plague has been recognised by the Government by a grant of $426.75
CHINESE RECREATION GROUND.
The Government loan of $6,000 was paid off in June. The Fund is now free from debt and on the 31st December had a balance of $840.11 to its credit. (See table VIII.)
The most useful method of disposing in accordance with the instructions of the Secretary of State of what it is reasonably expected will be a steadily increasing balance is under the consideration of the Committee of Management. Arrangements have been made with the Public Works Department to rebuild the cooking-stalls in a substantial manner. In December last 51 shops and 17 letter-writers tables were let. The number of the latter is being reduced as occasion offers. Nine permits were