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On the Praya East Reclamation, 147 Chinese houses were erected, making up to date a total of 973. The new Sailors Home and Seamen's Institute and a large Chinese hotel were both completed during the year under review.
The Royal Naval Canteen is still in course of construction.
The number of water flushed sanitary appliances approved during the year amounted to 3,622.
9. Fifteen fires occurred causing structural damage which necessitated action by the Public Works Department. Loss of life was occasioned in two instances where the buildings were of the old type of construction with wooden floors and staircases. It is pertinent to note that in no case where fires have occurred in the modern tenement houses constructed of reinforced concrete floors, roofs, and staircases, have casualties occurred nor has the fire even attained serious proportions nor extended beyond the floor upon which it originated.
10. Reclamations were in progress on the following lots in Hong Kong: I.L.2918, I.L.3538, I.L.3539, I.L.3540. A total area of about 207,000 square feet is embraced in the above works.
Reclamation works at Kowloon include K.M.L.52 and K.M.L.102. The total area involved being about 200,000 square feet.
Chapter XIII.
JUSTICE AND POLICE.
I. THE COURTS OF HONG KONG.
The Supreme Court of Hong Kong consists of a Chief Justice and one or more other judges. At present there is one other judge.
2. The jurisdiction of the Court is regulated by a number of Ordinances but generally it may be said that the Court exercises a Summary Jurisdiction in all actions where the claim does not exceed $1,000 and an Original Jurisdiction in all actions where the claim exceeds that amount.
3. In addition to the above the Court exercises Admiralty, Probate, Divorce, Bankruptcy, Lunacy, Criminal and Appellate Jurisdiction.
4. The following is a brief summary of litigation and matters dealt with during the year 1933:
2,787 actions were instituted in the Summary Jurisdiction and the amounts for which judgment was given totalled $501,580.51.