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was incorporated in 1893 and is presided over by the Secretary for Chinese Affairs and not more than twelve 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 Wonen and Girls Protection Ordinance, nod almost all women and girls detained by the Seeratury for Chinose Affairs under that Ordinance are sent to the Po Leung Kak. During 1922 the number of persons admitted was 255 and at the close of the year 42 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 Eyre Diocesan Refuge is an institution, under mission auspices, founded for rescue work among the Chinese.
It was housed in the Bolilios Reformatory up to the outbreak of war, but the work is at present carried on at Kowloon City. A small grant is made by the Government.
The City Hall receives as annual grant of $1,200 from Government. It contains a theatre, some large rooms which are used for balls, meetings concerts, etc., a museum in which are some very fair specimens, and a large reference and londing 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 charit- able institutions.
The Chinese Public Dispensaries are institutions maintained in order to provide the Chinese with the services of doctors, whose certificates will be accepted by the Registrar of Deaths, and with the services of interpreters, who can assist the iuuates of houses, where a case of infectious disease bus occurred.
Coolies are engaged and ambulances and dead vans provided in order to remove cases of infectious disease to the Infectious Diseases Hospital and dead bodies to the Mortuary. The Dispensaries receive sick infauts and send 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 eight Dispensaries in existence. The total cost of maintenance was €47,801 for the year 1922. The Government makes an annual grant of $7,000, and the rest of the cost in defrayed by voluntary subscription. The Dispensaries are conducted by committees under the chairmanship of the Secretary for Chinese Affairs.
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VIII-CRIMINAL AND POLICE.
The total of all cases reported to the Police was 13,939 being an increase of 1,697 or 13-86 per cent. as compared with 1921. There was in 1922 an increase in serious offences of 130 or 3-15 per cent. as compared with the previous year. The number of Scrious offences reported was 38 below the average of the quinquennial period commencing with the year 1918. The number of minor offences reported shows an increase of 1,567 as compared with 1921 and was 2,561 over the average of the quinquennial period.
The total strength of the Police Force in 1922 was Europeans 188, Indians 431, Chinese 762 making a total of 1,381 exclusive of the six superior officers and staff of clerks and coolies. These figures include police paid for by the railway and other Government departments. Of this force 17 Europeans, 118 Indians, and 57 Chinese were stationed in the New Territories doring the year.
The District Watchmen Force, numbering 102, to which the Government contributes $2,000 per annum, was well supported by the Chinese during the year. These watchunen 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. A detective branch of the force has done useful work under the supervision of a European Inspector.
The total number of persons committed to Victoria Gaol was 5,014 as compared with 4,990 in 1921. Of these 1,358 were committed for criminal offences against 1,732 in 1921. Of com- mittals for noncriminal offences there were 107 more for bawking without a licence, and 5 more for unlawfully boarding steamers, than in 1921.
The daily average of prisoners confined in the Gaol was 787 the average for 1921 being 764, and the highest previous average being 756 in 1919. The percentage of prisoners to population, according to the daily average of the former and the estimated number of the latter, was 0-12. The average percentage for the last ten years was 0-12. Owing, however, to the large floating population, which is constantly moving between the Colony and Canton, the percentage of crime to population does not convey an accurate idea of the comparative criminality of the residents of the Colony. The Victoria Gaol has accommodation for 700 prisoners including patients in flospital. The Branch Prison at Luichikok has accommodation for 200 prisoners in association.
The prison discipline was very satisfactory, the average of punishments per prisoner being 0.52 as compared with 12-6 in 1921 and 0-99 in 1920.
Long sentence prisoners serving two years and upwards are taught useful trades, including, printing, book-binding, tin-
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