36
The total strength of the Police Force in 1921 was Europeans 185, Indians 430, Chinese 726, making a total of 1,341 exclusive of the five superior officers and staff of clerks and coolies. These figures include police paid for by the railway and other Government departments. Of this force 15 Europeans, 127 Indians, and 58 Chinese were stationed in the New Territories during 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 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 Victoria Gaol was 4,990 as compared with 5,153 in 1920. Of these 1,732 were committed for criminal offences against 1,999 in 1920. Of committals for non- criminal offences there were 7 less for hawking without a licence, and 9 less for unlawfully boarding steamers, than in 1920.
The daily average of prisoners confined in the Gaol was 764, the average for 1920 being 755, 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 012. 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 707 prisoners. The Branch Prison at Laichikok has accommodation for 200 prisoners.
The prison discipline was satisfactory, the average of punish- ments per prisoner being 1·26 as compared with 099 in 1920 and 0.96 in 1919.
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 $77,750.18 as against $64,014 in 1920. A sum of $4,658 was received and credited to Government for non-Government work as against $3,593 in 1920.
IX. VITAL STATISTICS.
(a.)-POPULATION.
The civil population of the Colony, according to the census taken on April 24th, 1921, was 625,166, of whom 83,163 reside in the New Territories and in New Kowloon; at the census taken in