136
KENNEDY TOWN HOSPITAL.
One European Police Sergeant one European Police Constable and two Indian Police Constables from 2nd May to 25th June, 1898.
REMOVAL OF PLAGUE PATIENTS.
Three Indian Police Constables and seven Chinese Constables from 8th May to 23rd June, 1898. The men so detailed received extra remuneration.
In addition to the above the Water Police exercised a surveillance over boats and launches going to Lai Chi Kok and Kowloon City and took the addresses of plague patients removed to those places, and also carried out the arduous duty of enforcing quarantine on all vessels coming from Macao, Canton and the Canton river, and Swatow, while 2 European Police Sergeants, 1 European Police Constable and 1 Chinese Constable are still employed under the Sanitary Board to strengthen the staff of Sanitary Inspectors.
The work of arranging for the removal of Plague patients to hospital and of the dead to the Plague mortuaries (which was undertaken by the Police in the various districts to enable the Sanitary In- spectors to devote more of their attention to the work of disinfection) and the innumerable details arising out of an epidemic of the serious character of that of last year, threw a great deal of extra work on the Chief Inspector, the members of the Detective Staff (who discovered several cases of plague) and the Inspectors and Sergeants in charge, and the greatest credit is due to them for the tact and discretion with which they carried out the work, and the devotion with which they performed what in many cases were extremely disagreeable duties.
25.
HEALTH.
The year under review was a healthy one, although the number of deaths, as will be seen by re- ference to Table E, was unusually large. Seven men were lost by Plague, but only one of them was on Plague duty.
The admissions to hospital were during the last 3 years as follows:-
Europeans,.........
Indians, Chinese,
1896.
90
366
120
1897.
100
325
113
1898.
87
279
124
Among the Europeans 12 admissions were for treatment of venereal disesse. Table F shows the admissions to Hospital with fever from each station and the strength of the Police at each.
The health of Yaumati and subsidiary stations shows a marked improvement on 1897.
26.
EDUCATION.
Owing to the dislocation caused by the large number of European Police whose services were dispensed with at the beginning of the year, and the supervention of the Plague, it was unfortunately not found possible to hold the annual course of lectures of the St. John's Ambulance Association, and consequently no new certificates of the Association were gained.
During the year two Europeans and nineteen Indians obtained certificates for knowledge of Chinese, and three Indians and two Chinese for knowledge of English.
I append a report from Mr. DEALY, who was acting as Master in charge during Mr. ARTHUR'S absence on leave, on the work of the Police School during the year.
27.
DRILL AND MUSKETRY.
Drill improved generally under the supervision of Mr. Howe, Acting Deputy Superintendent. The European and Indian contingents went through the usual musketry and revolver courses. The shooting of the Europeans was on the whole fair. In the Indian contingent it was, except in a small proportion of individual cases, very poor.
28.
BARRACKS.
The additions and alterations in the Police Stations at Hunghom and Mount Gough, the Peak, for which provision was made in the Estimates for last year, were not proceeded with; nor was it found possible to begin the building of the new West Point Station during the year, but it is proposed to proceed with the building of the latter station during the current year.
29.
DISTRICT WATCHMEN.
The members of this Force have done their duty satisfactorily under the supervision of the European Inspectors and Sergeants of Police, and the control exercised over them has not produced. any friction.
L
In many instances during the year (two of which are mentioned in paragraph 7) the District Watchmen have rendered valuable assistance to the Police.