(2)
EXPENDITURE,
On the expenditure side there is a nett increase of $166,199.34 during 1897 as compared with the previous year of 1896, or a nett increase of expenditure in excess of revenue of $89,463.58.
The most noticeable increases on the expenditure side were :-
Public Debt,
Pensions,
Public Works Department,
Post Office,
Lighthouses,
Medical Departinent,.
Transport,
Miscellaneous Services,.
Public Works Recurrent,
Public Works Extraordinary,
$30,537.03
22,769.51
3,862.82
18,799.12
2,721.90
5,215.61
4,458.46
67,916.03
20,982.54
58,205.40
The amount expended on Public Works Extraordinary chargeable to the Loan amounted to $321,705.89 us against $230,619.32 in 1896, and $186,970.87 in 1895.
ASSETS AND LIABILITIES.
The Statement of Assets and Liabilities shows a debit balance on the 31st December, 1897, amounting to $264,649.87, of which $262,091.95 were loan monies.
Against this apparent deficit, however, the Colony had a prospective asset of $350,000 worth of coins which were paid for before the 31st December but were not yet in transit on that date.
It should also be mentioned that the expenditure for the year 1897 included
a sum of $116,000 on account of Her Majesty's Jubilee Celebration.
LOAN.
The Balance Sheet of the Loan Account showed at the end of the year a debit balance amounting to £336,625 Os. 9d.
MILITARY ACCOUNT.
The amount in sterling contributed by the Colonial Government during 1897
in aid of Military Expenditure was £42,993 12s. 3d, as against an expenditure of L162,588.
LEGISLATION.
The most important Ordinanees passed during the year were :-
(1) An Ordinance to declare and amend the Law of Partnership.
(2) An Ordinance to cousolidate and amend the Laws relating to the Construction of Ordinances, to further shorten the Language used in Ordinances, and for other like purposes.
These Ordinances assimilate the law of the Colony to that prevailing in England.
There was also an Ordinance passed to consolidate and amend the Laws relat- ing to Proutes and Letters of Administration in this Colony.
#
(3)
POPULATION AND PUBLIC HEALTH.
475
The population in 1887 numbered 212,951 as against an estimated population the latter part of 1897 numbering 248,710, including members of the Ariny and vy to the average number of 5.118. The European civil population during the
ir was estimated at 8,555.
The total number of deaths registered was 4,668 as compared with 5,860 ring 1896, but in the latter year there were no fewer than 1,078 deaths from bonic Plague; deducting deaths from that disease, however, there has been a terial reduction in the death-rate which for 1897 stauls at 18.85 per 1,000 compared with an average of 23 per 1,000 during the previous five
e of 1894, the year of the great epidemic of Bubonic Plague).
years (exclu-
The above statistics show an improvement in the state of the Public Health, ich may be regarded as satisfactory; notwithstanding the fact that 293 cases of all-pox and 63 cases of enteric fever were reported during the year, the latter ng chiefly confined to Europeans and the origin traceable to the milk supply.
It is only natural that a port like Hongkong should be largely exposed, through shipping, to epidemics of an infectious nature, and it is probably an indication the adequacy of the Quarantine Regulations that such epidemics are not more quent.
It is satisfactory to note that only 21 cases of Bubonic Plague were reported ring the year.
CLIMATE.
As bearing on the above, the following particulars regarding the climate ring the year under review may prove of interest.
The average monthly temperature was 71.7° F. as compared with 72° F. during .96. The maximum monthly temperature was attained in July when it reached
1° F. as compared with a makinam monthly temperature in the same month of e previous year 88,1° F.; the maximum monthly temperature was recorded in bruary, as in 1896, being 4.2° F. us compared with 53.1° F. The highest corded temperature was 91.8 F. in the month of September, and the lowest was 1.0° F. in the month of Fruary.
The total rainfall for the year was 100.03 inches as compared with 71.78 ches during 1896, the wettest months being August with 25.55 inches and June ith 23.355 inches, whilst the driest months were December with 0.48 inch and arch with 0.815 juclk of rain. No rainfall was recorded on 193 days of the year compared with 20% days during the previous year. The largest rainfall for the bours during the year was 6.03 inches on the 28th June. The relative humi- ty of the atmosphere throughout the year was, approximately, 80
The erage daily amount of sunshine was 4.78 as compared with 4.8 hours in 1896. n 71 days only no sunshine was recorded.
SHIPPING AND TRADE.
per cent.
The shipping returns for the year are not quite so satisfactory as might be spected. The total tonnage entering and clearing amounted to 15,938,174, being decrease of 577,779 tons as compared with the year 1896.
British shipping hows an increase of 329 ships and a decrease of 489,528 tons. This numerical crease with a tonnage decrease, is attributed to the fumber of small vessels which, nce the opening of the West River in June last, have been plying on that route nd increasing the number of entries and clearances without a proportionate in-
Hand