TABLE D.
CASUALTIES in the POLICE FORCE during the Year 1877.
Force.
Deaths.
Sickness.
Resignations Resignations through Expiry of through Service or other
Causes.
Transferred
Dismissals. Pensioned. Desertions.
to other Department.
Europeans, Indians,
259
12
17
12
1*109
5
ધ્ર
18
oo Go co
3
1
1
·
8
2
'Total.
24
2255 25
Chinese,
Total,....
6
16
31
20
29
4
3
111
Central Police Station, Hongkong, 15th February, 1878.
E.
C. V. CREAGH,
Acting Captain Superintendent of Police.
POLICE SCHOOL, HONGKONG, 1st February, 1878.
SIR-I have the honour to forward for your porusal the Report on the Police School for the year ending 31st Decer- ber, 1877.
2. During the year, the School has been pursuing a quiet course of usefulness. The sad death of Mr. Gara has beat a great loss to the School: his intimate knowledge of Police work, and his excellence as a teacher, made his services esped ally valuable, and it was a difficult matter to fill his place satisfactorily. Mr. DUGGAN however since his appointment la performed his duties well, and increased experience will make him a very valuable teacher.
3. Mr. CHEUNG-A-LEUNG, who left for a post in the Chinese Mission to Japan, was succeeded by Mr. Ca10-CH-TUN 4. As a large number of Europeans now possess exemption certificates, and a considerable number have left the Coler on the expiration of their term of service, the attendance has been small, but as only three of the last draft succeeded i passing the examination I expect a larger attendance during 1878. The number of men who presented themselves during the year for examination was 19, of whom 13 passed and the remainder failed. A feature worthy of note in the examination of this year is that a number of those who passed consisted of men whose education had been neglected in early life, bu who are now qualified for promotion, which they could never hope to obtain but for the education received at the school.
5. To make the teaching of the Europeans as practical as possible, I have introduced the Police Regulations as a ter book, and have made the writing of Reports a weekly exercise.
G. There have been two examinations of the Indian Constables during the year, one, to test their knowledge of Engla and Chinese in order to select two intelligent men for Corporalships; the other was the ordinary Annual Examinata The first examination has produced a most satisfactory effect. The fact that a knowledge of English and Chinese led promotion has caused a greater interest to be taken in these studies by a larger number of men, and accordingly I am aba to report a marked progress on the part of the Indians during the year, and at the examination at its close much bigar results were obtained, than at the examinations of previous years. I may note that one Indian Corporal passed the Euro- pean examination.
7. Towards the end of the year the attendance of the Constables was considerably diminished in consequence of bal practice at Kowloon, but this was partly compensated by the attendance of Indian Candidates, who, while waiting for a vacancy in the force, employ their leisure in the study of English and Chinese.
8. I have to make the same Report on the Chinese Constables that has been made in previous years. They make gol progress in the time they are allowed to come to school; in some instances more thau can be reasonably expected unde the circumstances. Still, as long as promotions are made from the ranks to Interpreterships, so long will these men ma up by private study for the loss of school time of which the exigencies of the service deprive them. Three Interpreters hav been taken from the school, and one English speaking Lokang transferred for service to the Gaol department during t
year.
9. In conclusion I beg to throw out the suggestion that the scheme of quarterly examinations be so extended as comprise promotions to Sergeantships and even to higher positions in the service. Such a scheme would induce many of the more studious men to prosecute their studies after their attendance at school is no longer compulsory. I am sure that if were understood that a higher grade certificate formed a factor in selection for promotion, a very large number of e would work to obtain it.
The following are the Statistics for the year :---
Nationality.
Europeans,
Indians,
Chinese,..
School days. 156
152
76
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Average Attendance.
4.16 28.07
115.46
Your most obedient Servant,
ALEXANDER FALCONER, Master in Charge.
126