Page
May 25, 1908.]
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
VICTORIA GAOL.
1900...
141
,04
1901.
189
.046
The report of the Superintendent of Prison, for the year 1907 states:
1902,.
2 5
* 54
193...
24
,059
1904. 1905
243
,054
2'6
046
158
146
.037 .035
1.06.
1. The number of prisoners received into prison during the year and the corresponding 19 6... numbers for the year 1906 were as follows:-
5,049 19
19 7
8. The following table shows the daily average number of prisoners undergoing im prisonment during the past ten years and the percentage borne by this number
the estimated population of the
to
olony of Hong.
Per- centage.
1907.
Convicted by Ordinary Courts...5,027
Convicted by Courts Martial
Convicted by the Land Courts
1
1
Convio ed by the Sanitary Com-
mission
kong :-
**
1
Convicted by the Captain Super-
Estimated Daily Average
|
intendent of Police
Year
6
Population number of
Convicted by the Commodore R. N.
Prisoners
1
Supreme Court for China and Corea
1898 ..
254.400
311
,200
6
3
Debtors
1899...
344 323
432
.125
94
71
On remand or
1900...
in default of
347,689
486
.139
finding surety
1.01...
:85 671
499
.129
733
653
1902 ..
396.835
576
.145
1903...
410,642
653
.159
5,877
5,799
1904..
446.217
726
,162
462,861
647
.150
414,49
518
502
121 .125
There was thus an increase of 78 on the total number of admissions as compared with the year 1906. There
as also an increase of prisoners convicted for larceny during the year under review, the numbers being 963 against 8 18 for the previous year.
The above figures show that 66 per cent, of the total admissions to prison were for nʊn- criminal offences.
2. The number of prisoners admitted to prisor for offences not of a oriminal nature was 3,417 made up as follows :—
Convicted by Courts Martial
the Land Courts...
11
曾多
11
"
of Police
9
1
Captain Superintendent
6
1
Convicted by the Commodore, R.N....
Debtors...
94 1,024 Gambling Ordinance 440 48!
Convicted under the Opium Ordinanca
4
11
19
1
"}
Market Ordinance...
"}
Arms Ordinance
•
31
Vehicle Ordinance.
12 52
11
"
y
**
for Drunkenness
Harbour Regulations
Sanitary Bye-laws... 182 88
21
1+
Trespassing
35 63
51
Disorderly Conduct
287
*
19
Vagrancy
13
"
Contempt of Court
"
**
Assanit
"
Obstruction...
+
15
Catting trees
44
11
31
Fighting
31
"
Mendicanoy
19
"
under the Post Office rdinance
5
**
for Rogue and Vagabond
222
"
25
3,4 7
under the Women and Girls' Protection Ordinance
Without
1,936
Total
856
169 1'6
3. The following Table shows the number of prisoners committed to prison without the option of fine and in default of payment of fine:
In default of payment of fine option Served the Paid fall Paid part of fine imprisonment. fine.
Total, fine. 1,599
658 5,049 4. There were 106 juveniles admitted into prison 31 of whom were sentenced to be whipped in addition to various forms of imprisonment varying from twenty-four hours' detention to one month's imprisonment with hard labour. There was an inoresse of 25 jarenil s convicted during the year 1907, as compared with the year 1906.
5. The percentage of convicted prisoners admitted to prison with previous convictions recorded against them was 15'0') as compared with 1300 for 19 6.
6. There were 141 prisoners admitted who were convicted by the Magistrates' Courts in the New Territories against 152 for the previous year.
7. The following table shows the number of convicts confined in Victoria Gaol on the 31st December for the past ten years, and the per. centage borne by this numier to the estimated population:
Year
1898... 1899...
***
No, of Conviots
895
55
96
Percentage to Estimated Population.
21 027
1905. 1906... 1907..
I
414,413
breach of prison discipline, being an average of 9. There were 755 punishments awarded for 1.5 er prisoner as comparrd with 627 with an average per prisoner of 1.21 for the preo-ding year. There were four cases in which corporal panishment was awarded during the year. by the Assistant Superintendent alone and one Three of which were with the birch sentenced
with the oat-o' nine-tails sentenced by the same Cfficer in conjunction with a Justice of the Peace.
10. There were до +80ape.
escapes or attempt to
11. In the month of January a Chinese prison. er employed in the Coir-matting shop assault.d a fellow prisoner with a mat-making knife for which he was subsequently sentenced to a further period of two years' imprisonment.
12. There
14 deaths from natural causes, 3 executions and one birth. Eleveu prisoners were released on medical grounds.
were
13. Owing to the low number of prisoners in custody and the extra accommodation afforded by the branch prison it has again been possible to strictly carry out the prison rules as regards the complete separation of remande, juver iles and debtors from convicted prisoners, also keep apart first convicted prisoners from habitual criminals thereby bringing ar prison system into line with the ngland prison service.
14. Prisoners employed at industrial labour were fully employed during the year and the output was quite satisfactory.
C
15. There were 4,169,624 forms printed and issued to the various Government D-
-partments and 22.342 books bound and repaired during the year under review.
16. The rules and regulations for the govern ment of the prison have been duly carried out,
17. The sanitary condition of the prison is good.
18. All minor repairs to the gaol have been carried out by prison labour.
19. Mr. F. J. Badeley handed over his duties as Superintendent to me on proceeding to England on 12 months' leave of absence on the 5th September.
20. The conduct of the s'aff has been good 21. The usual returns are appended. F. W. LYONS,
uprintendent.
14th January, 19 8.
i
331
THE WORK OF THE POST OFFICE.
The report of the Post Office Department, for the year 1:07, states:
STAFF.
1 The staff of the Hongkong General Post Office including that at Kow con and the West- eru Brauch consists of 74 staff, olerks, and sorters, a d 99 pʊstmen, messengers and launch
crew.
2 Of the higher officers Mr. L, A M. Johns- ton, the Postmaster General, was on leave from March 23:d until December 31st, and Mr. T. H. Martin, Superintendent of the Registration Departmen', was on leave from July 31st until the end of the year. Mr. E, C, Lewis, the Assistant Postmaster General, returned from leave on January 17 h and Mr. A. J. Reed, the Accountaut, on February 19 b.
3 During the absence on 1 ave of the Post- master General, his duties were performed by Mr. 3. B. C. Ross from Marob 23rd until July 28th, and for the remainder of the year by Mr. C. Mol. Messer.
4. Amongst the remainder of the staff there were 11 resignations, 2 deaths, 1 dismissal, 1 invalided 3 transferred to other departments and 4 new appoin-meuts. In Shanghai there were one resi ntion and two deaths,
OFFICE ALTERATIONS,
15 The Chinese distributing office has been removed to the basement ander the Loal Delivery Room, and the space so rendered vacaat has been made into a room for the storage of mails in trausit through Hongkong.
6 An electric exhaust fan has been placed in the Foreign Mail room with the result that sickness due to impure atmosphere has been very greatly reduced.
At Ningyuenfu, West China, the hillmen are on the warpath after three years of omparative peace. The new Prefect 8*med anxious for a fray and sent about 250 soldie s to punish a refractory tribe. But the expedi- tion met with disaster; twenty soldiers were killed or captured, while one small gun and about ten repeating rifles were taken by the hillmen. The soldiers enjoy a ba repulation. In a night raid on a hill settlement they succeeded in haening a few houses, killing the women obildren and old men who could not protect themselves or get away. It was ouly after their return home from this murderous attack that the hilmen sought rev-uge. The Chinese authorities are now collecting and enlisting soldiers, while the hillmen
are preparing for defence.
MAILS.
7 The number of mail bags and packets dealt with in the General Post (ffice. Hongkong, amounted to 1657,141 as against .60,921 in 1906 being an increase of 7,220.
REGISTRATION AND PARCEL BRANCH.
8 R-gistered articles and parce s baudled in in Hougkong amouuted to 856 415 as against 770,820 in 1906, an increase of 85,595.
REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE,
The
9 The statement of revenue and expenditure shows that the revenue amounted to $445,420.92 shewing an increase of $24,966.88 over that of 1906 and an excess of $27,2.0.92 over the estimate.
expenditure amounted to $366,452.47 being an increase of $6,968.39. The over expenditure was $ 8,968.45, an increase of $17.99,49 compared with last year. The profit was therefore 37 per cent. of the revenue.
+16988
of revenue
10 A six cent stamp was introduced daring the year, as under the new postage rate for Union Countries the postage on every succeed- ing ounce after the first is 6 coats.
MONEY ORDE 8.
11 Although exchange ruled bigh during the year, the issue of money orders has decreased, while, on the other hand, the payment has largely increased. The fact of the increase of the issue of orders on Japan is owing to Hoog- kong being the intermediary for the exchange of money orders between Australia and India and the other British Poss-ssions in the East with Japan. Ab at £1, 00 of the increase in the sale of Imperial Postal Orders is accounted for by the establishment of another agency at Tientsin.
12 Remittances to the Colony by the means of Imperial Postal Orders have become more ppalar and are yearly increasing in volume. The reduction in the amount of commission on Local Postal Notes from 2 per cent to 1 per oeut effected in 1905 has resulted in the marked, inore sed use of this means of emitting money, $2,877 in 1907 agaius: $12,7.8 and $1,497 în 1905 and 1906 respectively.
13 he exchange of money orders with Macao; hitherto between Hongkong and Macao only, has been extended to all the British Agencies established in Cuios. Direct exchange with Kisu sobou als cam- into force in 1907.
14 A system of advice of payment of money orders, to the remitter by the pay ng office at a tee of 10 con's for each order, was introduced, but the public has not availed itself of this in- novatio
15 With a view to expediting the payment of money orders in the United Kingdom a new