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The Census of 1921 disclosed a population of 625,166 persons with an increase of 168,427 or 36.87 per cent on the figures for 1911, a larger increase than that disclosed in any previous decade, if additions due to accretion of territory are omitted. In discussing the factors affecting the normal population, the Census Officer reported that the date of the Census (chosen to coincide with that originally selected for the United Kingdom) was inconvenient for Hong Kong owing to its proximity to the Chinese Tsing Ming festival when it is the duty of every adult male Chinese to return to his native village to worship at his ancestral tombs. A puerile rumour alleging inhuman designs on the part of the Government against young children as the reason for the Census also affected in some measure the numbers recorded. After considering various factors the Census Officer estimated that his recorded results might be increased by some 30,000 to reach the proper normal population in 1921. But he scouted the idea, prevalent then and later, that the population of the Colony was in the neighbourhood of a million. Further refer- ence will be made in a later paragraph to this opinion which has been held strongly in recent years and has even obtained a measure of official respect.
Such have been the general figures and results of census enumerations in Hong Kong up to and including 1921. Detailed comparisons between the years 1921 and 1931 will be found in the various appropriate parts of this report.
(2) PREPARATIONS FOR THE 1931 CENSUS.
(a) Legislation.
Previous censuses were taken under the Census Ordinance No. 2 of 1881. AI- though no difficulties had been experienced in the taking of the Census of 1921 under this old Ordinance, the law was defective in one or two points. For instance, the appointment of "unofficial" enumerators such as the managers of hotels, boarding houses etc. was anticipated, yet the law placed no obligation on them to carry out the duties imposed on them. The provisions as regards secrecy of the Census were also defective. It was, therefore, decided to make fresh legal provision for the carrying out of periodical censuses.
A new Ordinance, No. 4 of 1931, based on the Census Act of 1920, was accord- ingly passed by Legislative Council on February 5, 1931. Regulations were made by the Governor-in-Council under Section 3 of the Ordinance, and a Census Order, directing that a Census should be taken on March 7, 1931, was issued on February 12, 1931. A copy of the Ordinance, Regulations and Order are attached as Appendix A.
There was considerable delay in the making of the Ordinance, Regulations etc., partly due to the absence of the Superintendent on leave, and much had to be done, e.g. the printing of the forms etc., in anticipation of the legal provision.
No difficulties were experienced in carrying out the Census under this new Ordinance and it was unnecessary at any time to invoke the penal clauses of the law, although there were two oecasions on which attention had to be directed to these clauses.
(b) Preparation of the Census Form or Schedule.
Most of the questions asked in a census are questions such as must be asked in all census-taking countries. But in addition to these stock questions, a census usually includes also special enquiries that have a local significance or explore a peculiar problem. In some countries the general scope of the census goes very far beyond a mere numbering of the people. Increasing attention has been paid in recent years to various branches of sociological knowledge and the census, as the great instru- ment of sociological information, has been expanded accordingly. Thus, there are countries where questions have been asked on the duration and fertility of mar- riages, on orphanhood, on dependency, and whether the head of the family has or has not taken out a policy of life insurance. But the practice in the United