M 25
95. Attendances at the school clinics were as follows:
Table X.
Ellis Kadoorie general clinic 1,899 Violet Peel Health Centre 404 Yaumati general clinic 655 Special refraction clinic 464 Ear, nose and throat clinic 27096. The nurses paid 204 visits to the homes of school children to advise parents about minor ailments.
97. 7,860 anti-cholera inoculations and 527 vaccinations against smallpox were carried out during the year.
98. Physical education has been greatly extended in the Government and is spreading among the vernacular schools.
In the Government schools, all postural defects are referred to the supervisor of physical training who makes every effort to give these cases special attention. A system of recording physical measurements three times in each session has been introduced.
99. The system of the teaching of hygiene adopted by private schools has been the subject of adverse criticism, and the education authorities are co-operating in the establishment of a modern system.
(IV) Labour conditions.
100. The conditions, referred to in last year's report, governing the employment of labour in the New Territories, or by Government departments, were more generally adopted during 1939 but, otherwise, no improvement can, unfortunately, be reported nor can any substantial improvement be expected until some control over immigration from China is exercised and regulations covering the employment of labour are introduced. While labour employed by Government and firms of repute is generally well cared for it must be admitted that the majority of the Colony's working class exist under deplorable conditions at rates of pay which can hardly be regarded as a "living wage". As an example of the attitude adopted by many employers towards their labour, it may be recorded that recently a contractor, employing several hundred coolies, on being asked what the sick rate was amongst them replied that there was none as all sick coolies were dismissed!
101. The introduction of a code to prevent exploitation of the cheap labour market to the detriment of the health of the Colony's working classes, is a matter of great urgency and it is hoped it will not be much longer delayed.
102. While it is difficult to form an accurate estimate of average wages and hours of work, it may be confidently stated that they follow generally the figures given in last year's report.
(V) Housing and town planning.
103. The conditions described in the 1938 report regarding housing and overcrowding continue unabated and no marked progress can be expected until more normal conditions are re-established and Hong Kong's population reverts to approximately pre-"Incident" figures. While tenements are literally packed with human beings, who pay dearly for sleeping space, thousands sleep on the streets and in insanitary hovels on the outskirts of the towns. Those who are found to be destitute are removed to refugee camps and those of the hovel occupants who are self-supporting are being given an opportunity to build temporary houses to a modest standard, under the control of the Medical Department, on sites set aside for that purpose. Such squatters' camps will, of course, be demolished when normal conditions are restored.
M 25
95. Attendances at the school clinics were as follows:
Table X.
Ellis Kadoorie general clinic
Violet Peel Health Centre
Yaumati general clinic
Special refraction clinic
Ear, nose and throat clinic
1,899
404
655
464
270
96. The nurses paid 204 visits to the homes of school children to advise parents about minor ailments.
97. 7,860 anti-cholera inoculations and 527 vaccinations against smallpox were carried out during the year.
98. Physical education has been greatly extended in the Government and is spreading among the vernacular schools.
In the Government schools, all postural defects are referred to the supervisor of physical training who makes every effort to give these cases special attention. A system of recording physical measurements three times in each session has been introduced.
99. The system of the teaching of hygiene adopted by private schools has been the subject of adverse criticism, and the education authorities are co-operating in the establishment of a modern system.
(IV) Labour conditions.
100. The conditions, referred to in last year's report, governing the employ- ment of labour in the New Territories, or by Government departments, were more generally adopted during 1939 but, otherwise, no improvement can, unfortunately, be reported nor can any substantial improvement be expected until some control over immigration from China is exercised and regulations covering the employment of labour are introduced. While labour employed by Government and firms of repute is generally well cared for it must be admitted that the majority of the Colony's working class exist under deplorable conditions at rates of pay which can hardly be regarded as a "living wage". As an example of the attitude adopted by many employers towards their labour, it may be recorded that recently a contractor, employing several hundred coolies, on being asked what the sick rate was amongst them replied that there was none as all sick coolies were dismised!
101. The introduction of a code to prevent exploitation of the cheap labour market to the detriment of the health of the Colony's working classes, is a matter of great urgency and it is hoped it will not be much longer delayed.
102. While it is difficult to form an accurate estimate of average wages and hours of work, it may be confidently stated that they follow generally the figures given in last year's report.
(V) Housing and town planning.
103. The conditions described in the 1938 report regarding housing and over- crowding continue unabated and no marked progress can be expected until more normal conditions are re-established and Hong Kong's population reverts to appro- ximately pre-"Incident" figures. (While tenements are literally packed with human beings, who pay dearly for sleeping space, thousands sleep on the streets and in insanitary hovels on the outskirts of the towns. Those who are found to be destitute are removed to refugee camps and those of the hovel occupants who are self-supporting are being given an opportunity to build temporary houses to a modest standard, under the control of the Medical Department, on sites set aside for that purpose. Such squatters' camps will, of course, be demolished when normal conditions are restored.
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