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The Minister of the Union Church, Four additional members.
The objects for which the hospital is established are:-
(a) To provide carry on and maintain a hospital for the benefit of patients primarily who are poor helpleas and forsaken and to provide gratuitous medical relief to any such person suffering from disease or ill-bealth.
(b) The hospital shall be considered to be established
as a Religious and Evangelistic Institution.
(e) The hospital is reserved for British. American, and
European Patients,
It was the express wish of the Testator that the hospital should be quite self-supporting, and be able to maintain itself, and that it should be absolutely unnecessary at any time during the contiun- ance of the institution to appeal to the public in any way for funds for its maintenance.
Among institutions recognised and encouraged, but not to any considerable extent supported by Government may be mentioned the Pó Leung Kak, the Eyre Refuge, the City Hall, and the Chinese Public Dispensaries,
The Pó Leung Kuk is a Chinese Society founded in 1878 for the suppression of kidnapping and traffic in human beings. It was incorporated in 1893 and is presided over by the Secretary for Chinese Affairs and not more than nine directors nominated by the Governor. The actual management is entrusted to a committee elected annually by the members of the Society. The Society's buildings have been declared a Refuge under the Women and Girls Protection Ordinance, and almost all women and girls detained by the Secretary for Chinese Affairs ander that Ordinance ure sent to the Pó Leung Kuk. Daring 1915 the number of persons admitted was 567 and at the close of the year 75 remained under the care of the Society. The inmates are under the immediate charge of a Chinese matron, and instruction is given them by the matron and a Chinese teacher in elementary subjects and in needlework.
The Eyro Diocesan Refuge is an institution, under mission auspices, founded for rescue work among the Chinese. It is now housed in the Belilios Reformatory and receives a small grant from the Government. It was temporarily closed after the outbreak of
war.
The City Hall receives an annual grant of $1,200 from Government. It contains a theatre, some large rooms which are ased for balls, meetings, concerts, etc., a museum in which are some very fair specimens, and a large reference and lending library, to which new volumes are added from time to time, as funds will allow. The building was erected in 1866-9 by
subscription.
Small grants are also given to the Italian Convent, the French Convent, (both of which take in and tend abandoned or sick infants), the West Point Orphanage, the Seamen's Hospital, and other cliaritable institutions.
The Chinese Public Dispensaries are institutions maintained in order to provide the Chinese with the services of dactars, whose certificates will be accepted by the Registrar of Deaths, and with the services of interpreters, who can assist the innates of houses, where a case of infectious disease has occurred. Coolies are engaged and ambulances and dead vans provided in order to remove cases of in- fectious disease to the Infectious Diseases Hospital and dead bodies to the Mortuary. The Dispensaries receive sick infants and sead them to one or other of the Convents and arrange for the burial of dead infants. Free advice and medicine are given and patients are attended at their houses. There are nine Dispensaries in existence including one for the best population on a hulk in Causeway Bay. The total cost of maintenance, which is defrayed by voluntary subscription, was $42,433.71 for the year 1915. The Dispensaries are conducted by committees under the chairmanship of the Secretary for Chinese Affairs.
VII-CRIMINAL AND POLICE.
The total of all cases reported to the Police was 9.460 being an increase of 643 or 7-29 per eçul, us compared with 1914. There was in 1915 an incrense in serious offences of 140 or 1'69 per cent. as compared with the previous year. The number of serious offences reported was 97 below the average of the quinquennial period com- mencing with the year 1911. "The number of minor offeners reported shows an increase of 508 as compared with 191) and was 31 over the average of the quinquennial period.
The total strength of the Police Force in 1915 was Europeans 164, Indians 463, Chinese(645, making a total of 1,272 (as compared with 1.283 in 1914) exclusive of the five superior officers and staff of clerks and coolips. These figures include police paid for by the Railway and other Government Departments and by private firms. Of this force 14 Europeans, 142′ Indians and 38 Chinese were stationed in the New Territories during the year, under an Assistant Superintendent.
The District Watchmen Force, numbering 100, to which the Government contributes $2,000 per annum, was well supported by the Chinese during the year. These watchmen patrol the streets in the Chinese quarter of the City. They are placed on police beats and are supervised by the European police on section patrol.
The total number of persons committed to Vietoria Quo) wus -4,179 es compared with 1,050 in 1914. Of these 1,260 were com- mitted for criminal offences, against 935 in 1914. Of committals
431