Hus duties of Office will be affected by the Ordinance for the protection of women and children.
In answer to that I reply that the connection of the Registrar General's Office with the protection of women and children has increased, is increasing, and will continue to increase in proportion to the growth of the population of the Colony and the number of people who emigrate from Hong Kong or who pass through it. One instance will suffice to show to what extent the duties and responsibilities of the post of Registrar General have been and are being augmented in respect to the protection of women and children.
In 1883 there were 41 girls under the protection of this Office; the number now amounts to 287, the majority of whom have been rescued in connection with proceedings under the Contagious Diseases Ordinances or Ordinances for the protection of women and children.
But it is not in one respect only that the work of this Office has grown. Within the last few years there has been a general increase in all matters that come within its province. On examination of the archives, it has been found that the registered documents in 1886 show an increase of 50 per cent over those registered in 1882. The Staff are much harder worked than they have ever been before; translations from and into Chinese have become more numerous; the correspondence with the Colonial Secretary's Office, and other Departments, more extensive; the interviews with deputations and individual members of the Chinese Community more frequent; and the native population is continually growing to know more and more that the Protector of Chinese is an Officer who will listen to their complaints in their own tongue.