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of crime to population does not convey an accurate idea of the comparative criminality of the residents of the Colony. The Gaol has accommodation for 707 prisoners.
The prison discipline was satisfactory, the average of punishments per prisoner being 1.05 as compared with 1.36 in 1917 and 1.34 in 1916.
Long sentence prisoners serving two years and upwards are taught useful trades, including printing, book-binding, tin-smithing, mat-making, tailoring, carpentering, etc. The profit on the work done was $69,202 as against $67,333 in 1917. A sum of $3,954 was received and credited to Government for non-Government work against $3,601 in 1917.
IX.-VITAL STATISTICS.
(a.)-POPULATION.
The civil population of the Colony, according to the Census taken on May 20th, 1911, was 456,739, of whom 104,287 reside in the New Territories and in New Kowloon; at the Census taken in 1906 it was 301,967 exclusive of the New Territories and of New Kowloon. The estimated total population at the middle of the year under review was 561,500, but this includes the New Territories; and, as the birth and death figures given below do not include those from this area (with the exception of New Kowloon), the population for the purposes of calculating these rates is estimated at 548,000, of whom 13,500 were Non-Chinese.
The distribution of population estimated to the middle of 1918 was as follows:
Non-Chinese Civil Community, 13,500 Chinese Population. City of Victoria (including Peak), 299,450 Villages of Hongkong, 15,300 Kowloon (including New Kowloon), 80,200 New Territories, 93,400 59,650 Total Chinese Population, 534,500 Total Civil Population, 548,000 Population afloat, 13,500 Total Civil Population, 561,500(b.)—PUBLIC HEALTH AND SANITATION.
The activity in building operations, which has been so noticeable a feature since 1912, has not abated, and the demand for housing accommodation by the Chinese continued to be greatly in excess of the supply, as many of those who fled with their families to Hongkong during 1911, 1912, and 1913 elected to remain in the Colony.