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The number of deeds registered in the Land Office was 2,154 or 279 less than the previous year the total consideration being $30,250,789 as against $43,110,225 in the previous year.
The Government resumed several properties during the year chiefly in connection with the enlargement of the Central Police Station and for the extension of the Railway sheds and workshops. The total area of land granted during the year was 2851 acres of which 1634 acres were situated in the New Territories; the total area of land resumed was 99 acres.
In the New Territories the demand for house sites and agricul- tural lots continues normal and several areas of swampy waste lands in the neighbourhood of Deep Bay have been sold by auction for the purpose of reclaiming and converting the areas into rice fields.
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The total number of pupils at schools in the Colony excluding
the Police School and the uncontrolled schools in the New Terri- tories are:-
Number of Pupils in
English
Total.
Schools.
Vernacular Schoola,
Government Schools,
2,409
Military Schools,
114
2,409 114
Excluded Private Schools.
605
005
Grant Schools,
1,500
2,054
3,614
Controlled
Private
Schools,
2,500
8,944
11,444
Controlled
Private
Schools, New Terri-
tories.
1,094
1,094
Technical Institute,
576
570
Fotal,-
7,764
12,092
19,856
II. LEGISLATION.
Thirty-five Onlinances were passed during 1815, of which 14 were amendments of previous Ordinances.
The most important matters with which these Ordinances dealt were the Seditious Publications (Possession) Ordinance (No. 6), which makes knowingly possessing seditious papers an offence, and gives power to issue search warrants, the Estate Duty Ordinance (No. 10), the Post Office Amendment Ordinance (No. 17), the Asiatic Emigration Ordinance (No. 30), 1lte Companies Ordinance (No. 31), the Deportation Ordinance (No. 35) which gives power to order departure of deportees by a particular ship, and the following ordi- uances necessitated during the continuance of the European war- the Military Stores (Exportation) (No. 3) which provides a specific penalty for acts done in contravention of Proclamations prohibiting the exportation of certain articles and defines the term "Export.", the Declarations of Ultimate Destination (No. 9) which prevents the exportation to ostensible destinations in nentral countries in Europe of goods intended to be forwarded to enemy territory, the Alieu Enemies (Winding up) Amendment (No. 11), the Trading with the Enemy Amendments (Nos. 12, 22 and 28), the Travellers Restriction (No. 19) which provides for the examination of persons entering and leaving the Colony, the deportation of persons ordered to quit the Colony and the registration of visitors at hotels, boarding-houses and clubs, and the Inaporation and, Exportation (No. 12).
IV. EDUCATION.
No important changes have taken place in the Education Department during the year under review. The Staff has been lepleted by causes due to the war.
The most important schools, apart from the excluded schools, are Queen's College for Chinese, four District Schools its feeders, one being the Ellis Kadoorie School, and the Betitios Public School for Chinese girls. There is an Indian School of growing importance. Kowloon School and Victoria School for children of British parent- age have an average attendance of about 120. There is also a small school for the children of the Peak District. The Diocesan School and Orphanage and St. Joseph's College are important boys' schools in receipt of an annual grant. The Italian, French, and St. Mary's Convents, and the Diocesan Girls' School, are the most important of the English Grant Schools for girls.
The Hongkong Technical Institute affords an opportunity for higher education to students who have left school. Instruction was giveu in 1915 in Mathematics, Machine Drawing and Building Con- struction in Chemistry, Physics and Electricity; in Commercial English. Logic and Political Economy; in French, Shorthand and Book-keeping; and in Translation from and into Chinese. Classes in Sanitation (Publical Hygiene) and First Aid to the Injured are also hell, the examinations being conducted under the auspices of the Royal Sanitary Institute, London, and of the St. John Amhalauce Association respectively. Classes for Men and Women Teachers are a feature of the Institute.
The Lecturers are recruited from the members of the Medical and Educational faculties of the Colony, and from the Department of Public Works, and receive fees for their services. The Institute is furnished with a well equipped Chemical Laboratory and excellent Physical apparatus,
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