M 13
The advent of refugees has been continuous throughout the year; there were three peaks, the first occurring after the systematic air raids on Canton began in May, the second after the Japanese landed at Bias Bay in October, and the third and greatest after the Japanese "mopping up" operations along the Hong Kong frontier at the end of November. The measures taken to deal with the refugees are described in Appendix II.
40. The fall of Canton, while it checked the stream of immigrants arriving by river, did not entirely stop it, for refugees were still able to reach Hong Kong by Shekki and Macao. Regulations formulated on a property basis—only those possessing $20 being allowed to enter the Colony—failed to check the inflow. The figures given in the following table do not include refugees now living in Hong Kong and the New Territories.
41. The distribution of the population in various parts of the Colony (exclusive of refugees of all classes) is estimated as follows:-
Table III.
Hong Kong Kowloon New Territories Maritime Totals Non-Chinese 9,871 11,361 492 1,372 23,096 Chinese 414,138 352,849 108,536 100,000 1,005,523 Totals 454,009 364,210 109,028 101,372 1,028,61942. Under the Births and Deaths Registration Ordinance, No. 21 of 1934, registration is compulsory. The Director of Medical Services is Registrar-General of births and deaths, and the necessary data are obtained through eleven register offices in the Island of Hong Kong, seven in Kowloon and eleven in the New Territories. Much help is given by the Police Department and the Chinese Dispensaries in seeing that births are registered; but unfortunately registration is still carried out imperfectly owing mainly to the Chinese custom of not registering children until they are in the second year of life.
43. Registered births in 1938 showed an increase from 32,303 (692 non-Chinese) in 1937 to 35,893. The crude uncorrected birth-rate for 1938 was 34.9 per thousand of the mid-year population, as compared with a crude rate of 32.1 for 1937.
44. Among the civilian population 38,818 deaths were registered in 1938, an increase of 4,183 over the 1937 figure. In addition to this, twenty-nine deaths were recorded in the Forces of the Crown during the year, an increase of eighteen over the 1937 figure. The crude uncorrected death-rate for the civilian population is estimated at 37.7 per 1,000 living, the figure for 1937 being 34.4. These increases in the actual number of deaths and the death-rates reflect the general deterioration in the health of the community, a deterioration thought to be brought about by overcrowding, lack of housing and insufficient food. Still-births numbered 1,075 in 1938, 913 in 1937.
45. 11,620 Chinese infants under one year of age died in 1937, 12,001 in 1938, the infant mortality rates for the two years being 376 and 343 respectively. Post-registered births were subtracted from the total Chinese births before this figure was obtained.