168
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Section VI. Staff and Cost.
(Tables XXXV to XXXVII.)
1. Enumerators-Hongkong and Kowloon.-The number of enumerators employed was 526 in all. Enumerators for Hongkong and Kowloon were recruited directly by me. I dealt with over 500 applicants, of whom about 400 were found qualified after an examination in Chinese writing. No special recruiting steps were required, and I was. unable to use all who passed the test, but it was necessary to keep a large number in reserve, as no fewer than 97 who had been appointed to sections failed to present themelves when called up to receive their final instructions. This was mostly due to the Tsing Ming Festival causing men to return home just before the date when their services were required. Some failed to present themselves at the very last moment, and in several cases only one of the pair of enumerators attended to receive his schedules, and sub- sequently after beginning the distribution came back and reported that his colleague had gone off to the country, asking for a substitute. Thus a large amount of the care and trouble devoted to the previous instruction was wasted, and untrained men had to be launched forth, as it was impossible at the very last moment carefully to instruct the substitutes, when every second of my time was fully occupied. Some of the enunierators after distributing their schedules returned home for the Festival, and thus commenced the collection a few days late. In one case the enumerator collected his schedules, locked them up in his cubicle and returned to his native village for Tsing Ming before handing in his schedules. Had it not been for the enumerators of two sections, the preliminary report would have been ready nearly a week earlier. With the exception of six sections all the schedules had been handed in by May 3rd. The work on the whole was surprisingly well done considering the difficulties caused by the Tsing Ming Festival, but I must acknowledge that the defection of so many trained enumerators at the very last moment caused me grave anxiety for the ultimate success of the under- taking. The classes of enumerators found most suitable were office boys, boys employed in clubs, and shop foki's; the work did not commend itself to the junior clerk class, and very few of the numerous applicants for clerical posts could be induced to help as enumerators. Portuguese enumerators were employed for the first time for the non- Chinese portion of Tsimshatsui, but one left his work only just begun without reporting, thus causing great confusion on the very day before the Census, when his absence from the Colony was discovered, and necessitating the redistribution among the others. Enumerators were paid $10 each and in certain cases, owing to the distance of their section from their homes or the Census Office, sums varying from $1 to $3 as travelling expenses. In most cases I was able to select a sufficient number of enumerators, who lived close to their sections.
2. New Territories. Enumerators for the New Territories were selected by the Police officers in charge of each district, special care being taken to select men from different parts of the district, so that they should not have to waste time going to and fro from their homes; they were paid $15, and in a few cases various sums for travelling expenses, when they had to spend a night away from their homes in the more inaccessible parts of the Territory; the Head enumerator in each district received $40. They all took great interest in their work which they carried out very satisfactorily and expeditiously. No difficulty was experienced in obtaining in each district sufficient suitable candidates. In two small districts the Police Sergeant Interpreter acted as Head Enumerator receiving a small gratuity for the extra work involved.
3. Harbour.-Enumerators for the Harbour were selected partly by me from my general list, men accustomed to harbour work being preferred, and partly by the Water Police. They were paid $3 per day and 50 cents for travelling expenses and food. They reported each day at the Water Police Station at 6.45 a.m. and rarely returned ashore till 7 p.m.; the work was very arduous and in many cases unpleasant, and most of them well earned the comparatively high pay given. Small gratuities were given to the Chinese crews of the Government launches employed, in recognition of the great assistance which they rendered.
4. Police -This year in accordance with the conditions of the new scale of pay no. individual allowances were made to the European Police officers engaged, but donations. were made to the Headquarters Water Police and New Territories Canteens.