M(1)51
—
Asiatic steerage passengers may be classified as follows:-
(a) Free emigrants.-Of these 80,943 sailed during the year. Free emigrants are under no contract of service, they pay their own fares and are at liberty to return when they choose. Many of them engage in petty trading in preference to manual work.
(b) Assisted emigrants.-These are engaged for labour by contract of one to three years, and have their fares paid by their employer. 11,685 deported this year for work in the rubber plantations and tin mines of the Straits Settlements, the sugar plantation of Java, and the oil fields and timber forests of Borneo.
(c) Women and children.-These are mainly the wives and families of both free and assisted emigrants.
III. QUARANTINE DUTY.
All vessels arriving from infected ports and those having infectious or suspicious cases on board fly the "Q" flag and proceed to the quarantine anchorage for medical examination.
Saigon was declared an infected port on March 14th on account of small-pox, restrictions being removed on August 31st. Bangkok was declared an infected port also on account of small-pox on August 30th, and restrictions were withdrawn on December 27th.
249 vessels arrived in quarantine, the passengers and crews numbering 15,037 and 17,152 respectively undergoing medical examination before pratique was granted. The monthly return of quarantine ships is outlined on Table V. Of these 249 vessels 8 were detained in quarantine as shown in Table IV.
Small-pox was the cause of detention in all cases. The vessels were fumigated and disinfected and all persons on board vaccinated before release from quarantine was granted.
Thirty-two cases of infectious disease which on investigation proved not liable to quarantine were also dealt with.
During 1923 Bills of Health to the number of 2,540 were issued.
The total number of persons examined for the period under review amounted to 210,810 which is equivalent to 575 examinations for each day of the year.
Dr. F. T. Keyt, Health Officer of the Port, proceeded on leave prior to retirement on March 18th, his duties being assumed by Dr. B. H. Mellon, 2nd Health Officer of the Port. Dr. B. H. Mellon was appointed Health Officer of the Port on August 2nd and Capt. D. Fettes, R.A.M.C. acting 2nd Health Officer of the Port on March 19th.
B. H. MELLON, Health Officer of the Port.
January 18th, 1924.