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for by Sections 17 to 20 of Ordinance 18 of 1888 and by rules and regulations made thereunder and approved by the Governor in Council in 1892.
10. Until 1902 the District Watchmen were housed in ordinary Chinese houses, the Watchmen of each District having a separate District Watchmen's House. In 1902 a Central House in the Tai-ping-shan Resumption Area was erected and the cost defrayed out of the accumulated balances of the Fund with the assistance of a loan from the Government, which has since been repaid. In the Western and Eastern Districts the Watchmen still occupy rented premises but some houses have been bought at West Point and are to be converted into a Watchmen's House whilst a site in the Eastern District on which another Watchmen's House is to be erected has been granted by the Government.
11. The revenue out of which the expenses of the Force are defrayed is obtained by the levy of a rate of three-quarter per centum on the rent of all Chinese Shops in Victoria. Until 1902 the rate was half per centum but it was raised to three-quarter per centum in that year on the recommendation of the District Watchmen's Committee. The Government has at various times since 1869 granted financial assistance and for at least 14 years previous to 1898 the assistance took the form of an annual grant of $2,000. In the latter year the grant was withheld owing to the satisfactory state of the finances but was renewed in 1903 for three years when the question of continuing the grant will be reconsidered.
12. The chief duty of the District Watchmen Force is to assist the Police in the maintenance of order and the protection of property during the night-time. The Chief District Watchmen are also held responsible for the detection of gambling houses and of disorderly houses in their districts and are required to report all such to the Registrar-General. It is also a part and perhaps