269
There is an urgent need throughout the Colony, and especially in the City of Victoria, for additional free public latrines and urinals; no provision is made in the great majority of Chinese dwellings for a closet or privy, and it is the custom for all men of the working class to use public latrines, many of which are owned by private individuals who charge a small fee for admission, and in addition derive revenue from the sale of the excreta to the conservancy contractor, who exports it to Canton for manurial purposes. Many of these privately-owned latrines are placed in most unsuitable positions, such as in narrow lanes and immediately contiguous to domestic buildings, and they should be replaced by free Government latrines, erected on suitable sites, and convenient of access to the people for whose use they are provided. There are at present only eleven Government latrines (including one matshed latrine for Hak-ka women), and three public urinals, in the City of Victoria, while the male Chinese population of the city numbers more than 115,000. In 1896 the Sanitary Board recommended the erection of a Government latrine near the old Slaughter-house site at West Point, while during 1897 they recommended the erection of latrines at Leighton's Hill (contiguous to the Race-course and the new Recreation Ground) and at the top of Ship Street, Wanchai, in addition to those it is proposed to erect in the Taipingshan resumed area; and it is to be hoped that the Government will be able to erect some at least of these during the forthcoming year.
POPULATION.
The population of the Colony at the Census taken in 1881 was 160,402 while at the 1891 Census it was found to be 221,441. Owing, however, to the great disturbances among the Chinese population occasioned by the outbreaks of Bubonic Fever in 1894 and 1896, and the resumption by the Govern ment, and the demolition of the domestic buildings upon a comparatively large area of the City of Victoria, known as Taipingshan, it was deemed advisable for statistical purposes to take a census of the population in 1897, and this was accordingly done on January 20th.
The actual figures obtained by this Census were as follows:-
•
Land, Harbour, Land, Harbour,.
Chinese Civil Population...
Non-Chinese Civil Population,
Total Civil Population,
Army,
Navy,
Total Population,
200,005
33,275
8,034
448
241,762
2,850
2,268
246,880
The following is the estimated population of the Colony to the middle of 1897 :-
Non-Chinese Civil Population,......... Kowloou,
[ Rowoon,
Hongkong,
7,388
716
Harbour,
451
Total Non-Chinese Civil l'opulation,
8,555
Chinese
Civil Population, Floating Population,...
City of Victoria, including Peak and Stonecutter's Island,... Villages in Hongkong and Kowloon,
160,460
41,190
33,360
Total Chinese Population...........
235,010
1
Total Civ Population of Colony,...
243,565
Army, Navy,
2,880
2,265
248,710
Total Population of the Colony,
The total strength of troops in Garrison on June 30th, 1897, was 65 British officers and 1,396 British Warrant Officers, N. C. O.'s and men, with 10 Indian Officers and 1,106 Indian Warrant Officers, N. C. O.'s and men, making a total strength of 2,577 as compared with 2,739 in the previous year.
There were in addition 63 British women and 109 British children, and also 61 Asiatic women and 73 Asiatic childrens.
The total strength of the British Fleet on the China Station, at the middle of the year was 4,970 British Officers and men and 290 Chinese servants. Only a proportion of this number, however, are stationed here at any one time, and at the Census taken in January, the actual number of Officers and men of Her Majesty's Navy present in the Colony was 2,268; but it must also be remem-