120
Ordinance No. 10 as originally drafted, was received with very general oppo- sition by the Chinese, but in its final form it satisfied the public. It provides for the licensing of dealers in medicines containing opium. There are very many patent medicines containing opium sold as a cure of the opium-smoking habit. The dealers in these, were at first somewhat uncertain what the result of the Ordi- nance might be, but the leading dealers applied for licences and bad their medicines analyzed, and are now carrying on business as usual. The price of "anti-opium pills has risen from 80 to 140 per cent.
Ordinance No. 11 facilitates the suppression of disorderly houses and provides for the infliction of a fine on the keeper of any such house.
Ordinance No. 13 provides for the grant of special licences to transport inden- tured Chinese emigrants to South Africa. This does not immediately affect the Chinese of Hongkong, but a few applications have been made to me by Chinese seeking relatives who they thought might be in the depôt. Applicants are given a note to the officer in charge and have always met with satisfaction.
As there is a considerable export of sugar to Hongkong from the neighbouring districts of China and from the ports of Hoihow and Pakhoi, Ordinance No. 10 and the Regulations made thereunder which require the sugar to be accompanied by a certificate of origin, directly affected Chinese merchants, but except in one instance they have apparently had no difficulty in complying with the law.
On the 19th January it was resolved by the Legislative Council that the Sum- moning of Chinese Ordinance, 1899, should be further continued in operation for two years.
By Regulations made on the 5th July under The Merchant Shipping Ordinance, provision was made for the licensing of special passenger sampans to ply for hire at the wharves in the central part of the town. The sampans are divided into Day Boats and Night Boats and have to be better. manned than the ordinary sampan.
The workmen's cars provided morning and evening in accordance with a Reso lution of the Legislative Council passed on the 15th September will it is hoped permit workinen to live in the suburbs and facilitate their getting to and from their work in the centre of the town. The tendency at present is for the better class of work- men to live in the town and go out every day to their work at Yau-ma-ti, Quarry Bay or wherever it may be
24.
PROSECUTIONS.
Appended is a Table-No. XI-giving a return of prosecutions during the year under various Ordinances administered in whole or part by this Office. The return is not a full list of prosecutions, but only of such as were undertaken or might have been undertaken by this Department. There were no prosecutions for neglect to comply with the provisions for the registration of householders (Ordinance No. 3 of 1888, Part III) nor for neglect to vaccinate.
25.
STAFF.
Mr. FLETCHER continued to act as Assistant Registrar General, and Dr. PEARSE and Dr. BARNETT acted as Superintendent of Statistics during the absenc of Dr. CLARK who returned to the Colony on the 8th December.. SUNG CHI-PANG, the second Assistant Shroff, resigned on 20th January, and WONG HAU-NAM was appointed to the post. So UET-TAI was appointed third Chinese Writer in place of WONG KAI-TAK who was dismissed on 3rd February. The services of LEUNG HON-TSENG, Chinese Writer, were dispensed with at the end of April and TANG SHI-KIT was appointed on 1st May. FUNG HON, Emigration Clerk, resigned on the 30th September, and WONG PO-SHAU was appointed temporarily to do the work on 1st October.
A. W. BREWIN
Registrar General.