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Hong Kong Annual Administration Reports, 1841-1941
COLONIAL REPORTS—ANNUAL.
Since the middle of the year the Chinese provincial authorities have maintained a force of soldiery along the northern boundary of the New Territory, who have co-operated with our Police in preventing the incursion of armed robbers into the Colony.
(H.) PRISON.
The daily average of prisoners confined in Victoria Gaol was 499, as compared with 486 for the year 1900. There were 180 convicts in the gaol on the 31st December, 1901, against 141 on the same date in 1900, 96 in 1899, 55 in 1898. This shows an increase of 125 per cent. during the past three years. This large increase is synchronous with and largely attributable to the inclusion of the New Territory in the Colony.
The total profit of all industrial labour amounted to $24,783 as compared with $17,458 for the preceding year. All minor repairs to the gaol have been carried out by prison labour. A new wing was completed and occupied by long-sentence prisoners early in the year.
The question of extending the prison accommodation in the Colony has been for some time engaging the attention of the Government.
The Superintendent of the Gaol is also Captain Superintendent of Police, and is assisted by an Assistant Superintendent; a medical officer, chaplains, and European and Indian warders.
(I.) FIRE BRIGADE.
The Superintendent of Fire Brigade is also Captain Superintendent of Police and Superintendent of Victoria Gaol. The European members of the brigade, with the exception of the engineer, are also members of the Police Force voluntarily enlisted, and for their services in the brigade they receive a small addition to their pay. There are also a number of Chinese foremen and engine-drivers. The brigade possesses a powerful floating fire engine for use in the harbour, four land steam engines, and 29 despatch boxes. The five fire engines were all built by Messrs. Shand and Mason.
There were 58 fires and 84 incipient fires during the year, and the brigade turned out 57 times. The estimated damage caused by the fires was $630,381 and by the incipient fires $212. The only year in which greater damage was done by fire was 1898, when the total damage was $829,814.
Towards the end of the year the work of extinguishing fires was rendered more arduous by the drought and the consequent want of water in the mains.