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Hong Kong Annual Administration Reports, 1841–1941
COLONIAL REPORTS-ANNUAL.
Bed in the Northern District swelled the total acreage of, and the prices obtained for, lands sold in that part of the Colony to figures considerably above last year's totals.
An area of 42 acres was granted to the Royal Hong Kong Golf Club as an extension to the existing course at Fan Ling in the New Territories.
III.-LEGISLATION.
Thirty Ordinances were passed during 1913, of which 14 were amendments of previous Ordinances and one, an Ordinance to repeal the Sugar Convention Ordinance, was subsequently disallowed.
The most important matters with which these Ordinances dealt were the General Loan and Inscribed Stock Ordinance (No. 7), setting forth the terms and conditions applicable to loans authorised by the Hong Kong Government and to provide for the creation of Hong Kong Inscribed Stock, the Prohibition of the Circulation of Foreign Notes (No. 13), the Prohibition of the Circulation of Foreign Silver and Nickel Coins (No. 15), the Steam Launch and River Trade Steamer (Protection against Piracy) Ordinance (No. 18), which provides for precautions being taken on board river steamers against the seizure of steamers by pirates who embark under the guise of passengers, and the Education Ordinance (No. 26), which provides for the registration, control and supervision of schools.
IV.-EDUCATION.
The Education Ordinance was passed and came into force towards the end of the year. By its provisions all schools except Government Naval and Military Schools and a few others especially excluded are compulsorily registered and are subject to inspection. Unregistered schools are illegal and the Managers liable to a heavy fine. The Director of Education has power to close inefficient and unnecessary schools, an appeal lying to the Governor in Council. This Ordinance has brought 620 schools, with 11,909 pupils, under control. The total numbers of pupils at school in the Colony are:-
English Schools Vernacular Schools Total Government 2,155 107 2,262 Naval, Military and excluded 675 675 Grant Schools 2,029 2,169 4,198 Private Schools, Hong Kong 1,196 7,490 8,686 Private Schools, New Territories 3,223 3,223 6,055 12,989 19,044Page 285
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