138
admitted, of which 261 were restored to parents or relatives or were sent to some Benevolent Society in China, 17 sent to Missionary Schools, 10 sent to Convents, 19 married, 10 adopted, and 2 died. In the case of the remaining 310 investiga- tions showed that no action was desirable. The work done by this Benevolent Society during the year 1902 shows a very large increase over the work done in former years. The Working Committee of the Pó Leung Kuk have shewn them- selves at all times most willing in investigating the cases brought under their notice. During the year there were 26 cases in which 36 persons were charged under the Women and Girls Protection Ordinances and there were 101 cases of closing of lodging-houses for prostitutes under Ordinance 31 of 1899.
EMIGRATION.
Table III gives a return showing the number of female and male Emigrants under 16 years of age examined and passed at the Emigration Office and at the Re- gistrar General's Office under The Chinese Emigration Consolidated Ordinance, 1889, as amended by the Chinese Emigration Amendment Ordinance, No. 37 of 1901.
From January 1st till the end of May, 4,873 females and boys were examined at the Harbour Office, an Officer from the Registrar General's Office being present on each occasion. From the 1st of June till the end of December, the examination took place at the Registrar General's Office; and during this period 5,439 female and boy emigrants were examined, making the total for the whole year of 10,312 compared with 9,312 in 1901.
Emigration during the months of June and July was at a low ebb, owing to the provisions of Ordinance 37 of 1901 whereby boarding-houses for emigrants had to be licensed, and emigrants had to lodge 48 hours in a licensed boarding- house previous to being examined by the Emigration Officer or Registrar General. After the Chinese had become accustomed to the working of the new law, emi- gration proceeded at the usual rate; but during the two above mentioned months emigrants to the Straits Settlements avoided passing through Hongkong as much as possible. One hundred and thirty-nine emigrants were detained for enquiries, and the usual arrangements were made for restoring to their relatives and friends, those who were found to have been persuaded to emigrate under false pretences.
Boarding-houses for Chinese emigrants are divided into hotels for males and females, an annual licence fee of $50 being charged for these, and emigration houses for males only, the licence fee for which is $10. During the year 1902, thirty-three hotels and seven emigration houses were registered.
Under the Bye-laws for the licencing, regulation and sanitary maintenance of Boarding-houses for Chinese Emigrants made under Section 4 of Ordinance No. 37 of 1991, licences are only issued to persons whose characters are satisfactory, and the Registrar General has power under those Bye-laws to withdraw at any time a licence for a boarding-house, if in his opinion the keeper of such boarding-house has ceased
to be a fit and proper person to keep such boarding-house.
It is hoped that this Ordinance, while not interfering with the legitimate emigration trade, will be of service in preventing certain emigration abuses which undoubtedly exist.
CHINESE POSTAL HONGS.
A
Under Gazette Notice 273 of 1902 made under Section 9 of Ordinance No. 24 of 1902, licences for Chinese Postal Hongs are issued by the Registrar General. fee of $5 is charged for licencing each Postal Hong. The letter-carriers of these hongs are required to have a distinguishing badge worn on the right arm when actually engaged in the delivery of Chinese Hong correspondence. This Hong correspondence has also to pay postage. During the year 44 Postal Hongs were registered with 162 letter-carriers.
CERTIFICATES OF IDENTITY TO CHINESE ENTERING THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, &c.
The revenue derived from this source was $2,275 compared with $1,750 in 1901.
The number of certificates issued during the year was:—
To the United States,....
To the Hawaian Islands,. To the Philippines,
22
4
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