Enclosure 2.
341
be better to devote it to providing for a Maternity Charity, and requested the Committee to give the matter their further consideration. The Committee shared my view and I now attach a draft scheme to provide for a Training School of Chinese midwives at the Alice Memorial Maternity Hospital, and have the honour to request authority to provide in the Estimates for 1905 the sum of $384 to meet the necessary expenditure.
3.
With regard to the third and fourth recommendations of the Committee, I caused enquiries to be made of the Convents as to their opinion on the subject, and ascertained that all deaths are now regularly registered, and that all admissions can be readily ascertained by Government as the Convent Registers are open to inspection. Some objection was raised to the Medical Examination of the foster-mothers, but this would probably be overcome if the examination were conducted by lady Doctors. This point has been left over for consideration when a lady Doctor is available.
4.
Steps are being taken shortly to give effect as far as is practicable to the fifth recommendation of the Committee, by using certain additional Police Stations as Birth and Death Registries. Some Stations are already so used.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient
Humble servant,
Officer Administering the Government.