148
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
able accommodation affording privacy for families owing to the style of the buildings and the high rents.
19. In the floating population the percentage of females to males is 60; the number of the latter being 19,872 and of the former 11,880. The total, 31,752, shows a decrease of 283 com- pared with last census. The correct enumera- tion of this portion of the community is an exceedingly difficult task unless it can be accomplished in one day. On this occasion the enumeration of the harbour was not com pleted until the 24th of January, the work having commenced on the 20th at 9 P.M., the enumerators working all night in order to get as much done as possible before the boats began
to move.
20-Of the Chinese land population, in- cluding those persons on board the European shipping, it is only a very inconsiderable num- ber, namely. 4,002, who do not belong to the Kwang-tang province. There are 1,283 natives of the Fokien province, 336 of Kiang-8n and 198 of Chokiang. Ton persons were not ashamed of belonging to the boat population, and 1,523 persons, of whom three-fifths are women, claim Hongkong as their native place. I think it probable that the persons who claim Annam, Corea and Siam as their native places are not Chinese, but Annamese, Coreaus and Siamese. In addition to stating the district of China or the province to which they belonged the Chinese were asked to state their birth-place, if not born in China, and 9,033 persons give it as Hongkong. Very probably this number should ba larger. In Wanchai there was current a report that all persons born in Hongkong were to be at once re- vaccinted. One womau who had told the
enumerator that her children were. born in Hongkong ran after him after he had left the house, and was very urgent that he should cor- rect what she said was her mistake. In the same district on the first day on which the schedules were distributed serveral women left
table XX. For the purpose of comparison with the previons census, the Chinese population of eight of the registration districts is given in table XVIII. This table does not include the Chinese living in houses or tenements occupied by members of another race. The most notice- able feature in the return is the large increase of 11,011 (32 per cent) in the population of the Saiyingpún district. In the Taipingshan dis- trict there is an apparent decrease of 12.518, ❘ but in 1891 the houses which have since been destroyed in the Taipingshan Resumption Area were occupied by. 13,613 persons, 80 there is an increase also here, though slight. In the Sheungwan district there is a decrease of 58. In the Chungwan district there is an increase of 5,001 or 14 per cent, and in the Hawan and Wauchai districts of 4,044 or 24 per cent. Table XIX., which gives the population of the sections into which the town was divided for the purpose of the census and the corresponding population in the year 1891, will be of assistance in an enquiry into the causes of this apparent increase. The number of prisoners in Victoria Goal was 24 Europeans and Americans, 7 Indians and other non-Chi- nese, and 485 Chinese.
24-The European and American popula- tien of the Peak has increased from 213, ex- cluding the Police, to 381. This latter number includes 5 persons occupants of the police sta- tions. The number of children under 15 is 87. The Chinese population is 1,591. 427 were workmen employed on buildings in course of erection:
Of these,
25.-The European and American population of the villages in Hongkong is not given in the report on the census of 1891. It is pro bably included under the heading Victoria. It
now amounts to 125.
26.—The district of Shaukiwan shows a slight increase in the Chinese population from 7,272 to 7,438, notwithstanding that the three villages of Sant'so, Hung-heung-ló and Tung-lo-wan are now included in Victoria and the village of Hoktsui in Stanley, and that the quarrymen to the number of about 500, according to the estimate of the police inspector in charge of the district, had left to spend the New Year holidays at their homes on the mainland.
their homes and ran away to the hill-side at the back of the town. In Saiyingpun there was also a little commotion among the lower classes, and one Fokien man, at whose house a schedule was left, made a great disturbance. As he did not understand Cantonese and refused to look at the schedule, the misunderstanding was only put an end to by the chief watchman persuad. ing him to go to one of the Fokien hongs where the taking of a census was explained to him. There was the usual number of persons who thought that they were being served with writs In many cases it required some persua-employed on a new building. sion on the part of the enumerator to induce people to take the schedule, and I am afraid that where obstinacy seemed impervious to reason the enumerator was driven to re-
27. The increase in the population of the Stanley District is due to the presence of work- men employed on the Tytam Waterworks.
fer rather roughly to the penal clauses of the census ordinance. The Registrar Gen- eral's Office received the assistance of the Chinese press in an endeavour to give as much publicity as possible to the inten- tion of the Government to take a census and to allay the usual suspicions, and I do not well see what more could have been done beyond perhaps making an attempt to reach the people through their children by preparing a brief lecture in Chinese on a census and asking the Chinese teachers of the grant-in-aid schools to explain it to their scholars.
21.--The natives of the Kwang-tung province number 197,526 persous. Of these, 156,603 belong to the Kwang-chau prefecture, of which Canton is the chief town. From the neigh- bouring district of San-on there are 21,697 persons in the colony. From Pun-ue and Namhoi, the two districts in which Canton is situated, 27,421 and 22,470 respectively, whilst 27,090 come from Tung-kun and 18,285 from
San-ui.
22.-In the report on the census of 1891 the term Victoria was restricted to the ten regis- tration districts, the eastern boundary of which is the west side of Causeway Bay. For suni- tary purposes the town now extends as far as North Point, and in the present report the term Victoria is used in this sense unless another meaning is expressly given to it.
28. The population of the Aberdeen District remains unchanged whilst there is an increase of 115 persons in the district of Pokfulam, of whom about 40 are workmen temporarily.
29.-The European and American population of British Kowloon has increased from 183 to 377. Of these, 93 are under 15 years of age. The Chinese population of the peninsula con- tinues to grow rapidly. In 1881 it was 9,021. In 1891 it was 19,997. It is now 26,442. There are no particulars given in the report on the last census from which to ascertain in what part of the peninsula the increase has taken place, but it is sufficiently obvious without them. Yaumati is now town of 8,000 inhabitants, Hunghom of 6,000, whilst there is a population of 3,500 round the promontory of Taikoktsui.
a
30-The number of Europeans, Americans, and other non-Chinese on board the merchant shipping in the waters of the colony on the night of the census was 448 compared with 1,016 in 1891; the number of Chinese 1,523 compared with 1,083. Of the Europeans, 161 were British, Germans, 29 Norwegians and 49 Americans, 17 Swedish. There were 63 Japanese and 12 Malays. The number of ships was 54.
i
[August 18, 1897.
largely affected by the weather, and cannot be depended upon. The floating population of Shankiwan remains practically the same; that of Aberdeen shows an increase caused by the presence of a number of fishing boats which lie up there for the New Year. The anchorage at Stanley is unsafe during the south-west monsoon when it is almost deserted. This accounts for there being only ninety boats there at the time of the last census which was taken on the 20th May. The number of boats at Stanley on this occasion was 206, of which 201 were fishing boats, and the police officer in charge of that station reports that the number of the latter would have been greater but that during the days previous to the census some had left the anchorage for Aberdeen and Macao for the New Year holidays.
THE
HONGKONG AND SHANGHAI BANKING CORPORATION.
The ordinary half-yearly meeting of the shareholders in the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation was held on 14th Aug. at the City Hall. Mr. St. C. Michaelsen pre- sided and there were also present Hon. J..J: Bell-Irving, Messrs. J. D. Boning, R. M. Gray, D. Gubbay, A. J. Raymond, R. L. Richardson, N. A. Siebs, and Gerald Slade (Directors), Thomas Jackson (Chief Managet), Hon. C. P. Chater, C.M.G., Hon. E. R. Belilios, C.M.G., Messrs. H. N. Mody, V. A. Cesar Hawkins, G. Stewart, J H. Lewis, G. H. Potts, A. Coutts, J. D. Smart, C. J. Gonsalves, J. E. Thompson, E. Georg, A. Hancock, S. Hancock, D. Gillies, Geo, Murray Bain, Henry Humphreys, F. Henderson, W. S. Ramsay, H. M. Mehta, W. Lysanght, S. B. Bhnba, J. R. Michael, J. M. S. Alves, A. Wright, T. Brown, F. N. Firth, G. C. Cox, C. S. Sharp, M. Chinoy, E. S. Whealler, Ho Fook, F. Dodwell, Dr. Hartigan, C. Palmer, Anderson, E. Jones Hnglies, Find- lay Smith, A. Haupt, Sugden etc. vening the meeting.
The CHIEF MANAGER read the notice con-
The CHAIRMAN read the report of the Court of Directors.
The CHAIRMAN-Gentlemen, the directors are pleased to meet you on the present occasion with a very favourable report. The half year as been one of many fluctuations, and of more than ordinary anxieties to the management of Eastern Banks generally. Dealing as we have been with what we are sorry to describe as a depreciating currency, it has been a difficult
matter to meet all the demands of our con- stituents for sterling and rupee remittances, and at the same time to safeguard the interests of the Bank. It is well known to all our friends that in trying times we have not shirked our responsibilities in the matter of facilitating their exchange operations, and the report just read is a very satisfactory proof that we have succeeded in making their interests harmonize with ours. On previous occasions we seldom referred to the silver question, perhaps prudently leaving the difficult question to wiser heads than ours; however it is expedient to take this opportunity of defining our position with regard to the white metal. It will be seen from the report that we have £3,065,900 5s.10d. in current accounts in London; this large amount is prin- cipally owing to the Governments we have re- cently been negotiating loans for and is held there in liquid securities. Our ordinary current accounts in London are about one sixth of the amount, say a little over £500,000, which may be taken to represent our sterling liability with regard to current accounts. Our other sterling liabilities are our fixed deposits in London, amounting to £2,610,278 55.31d. These are em- ployed in our ordinary outward business to the branches, and are at all times covered by the sterling and rupee investments we have in London, by bills in hand and by sterling remit. tances on the way from the East. At no time are our sterling liabilities allowed to exceed our sterling assets, in fact very much the reverse, so that while the fall in silver is a matter of regret to us, it is not, and will not be allowed to be a source of loss to our profit and loss- account. (Applause.) I hope I have made myself perfectly plain upon this point and that my explanation will be satisfactory to our shareholders and depositors. Home
31-The Chinese floating population number 31.752 persons living on board 5,141 vessels. This is a slight decrease compared with the year 1891 when the population was 32,035 and the number of restels 5,220. The number of fishing boats was 1,514 compared with 1,141 in the year 1891; the number of boats plying in the waters of the Colony 3,408, and the num- ber of passenger and trading junks 139. The population of the harbour was 21,311 com- Of pared with 23,662 in the year 1891. 23.-The population of Victoria consists of these 13,187 were found in boats moored on 6,446 Europeans, Americans, Indians, Japanese, the south shore and in the middle of the &c., 251 Eurasians and 160,273 Chinese. The harbour and 7,624 along the north shore, com- population of each of the ten health districts pared with 17,215 and 6,447 respectively in the into which the town is now divided is given in year 1891, "But the position of the boats is/vestors in our shares will naturally look to