(12)
6. Two-thirds of the boys sent from Government Departments remained in the Reformatory voluntarily from one to five years. The other third left in the first month. The former got situations in the Kowloon Dock, in shops in Hongkong, on board steamers, &c.
7. In the first year, Mr. WHITE being Magistrate, several boys were sent to the Reformatory. After his departure very few have been sent by the Government Department. In the last six years only nine boys have been received, and these few from the Registrar General. Of these a certain CHAN-A-FAT entered the Reformatory in 1879 and left in 1884. He went to Singapore to join some of his relatives. Another, by name LI-A-CHEONG, entered in 1880 and left in 1884. The other seven are yet in the Reformatory, two since 1882, two since 1884, and three entered this year.
8. Two Chinese youths have been sent by the Colonial Secretary to the Reformatory to remain there three years. One, who belonged to a very good family, remained voluntarily two years, and would have remained the third year, had he not been pardoned. He left the Reformatory with good recollections of the Establishment. The other ran away and was caught by the Police. We think he is in Gaol at present.
9. With the exception of four, we never had any boy, who left the Reformatory, taken before the Magistrate the second time.
10. Some of the old inmates of the Reformatory kept a good recollection of the Establishment, and used to come on the Chinese New Year day to pay their respects to the Directors of the Establishment.
11. The Establishment never refused any boy sent to it, and it is always ready to receive them.
(13)
12. We have observed that the Chinese boys who could be used to work became easily better. We have shops in the Reformatory of tailorship, shoemakership, and carpentership, besides agriculture.
13. We have to complain of the difficulty of finding work, as it is impossible to compete with the extraordinary cheapness of the work lately introduced in Hongkong by the great number of shopkeepers.
14. We have to remark that the general custom prevailing among Chinese of early marriages prevents the Chinese boys from remaining in the Reformatory after the age of 17 and 18 years. For these another system is to be adopted than that in vigour at present at the Reformatory.
The reason why the Government asked for the Report was, that in the same year, the question of a Reformatory in Hongkong was taken up at home by the Secretary of State for the Colonies. His Excellency suggested to ask the Directors of our Reformatory whether they would consent to have it placed on the same footing as a certified Reformatory, with the condition that they would retain the right of taking pupils in addition to those sent by the Government or the Courts of the Colony.
An Ordinance passed in Hongkong in 1886, and the Directors of the West Point Reformatory, having been invited to consider the matter, accepted to receive the boys with some conditions, among which were:-(1.) that the boys should be under fourteen years of age, and (2.) that the wall of the Reformatory should be raised as much as to prevent boys from leaving the Establishment before the fixed time. The conditions were not complied with, and this rendered very difficult the situation of the Directors
526
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( 12 )
6. Two-thirds of the boys sent from Government Departments remained in the Reformatory voluntary from one to five
years. The other third left in the first month. The former got situations in the Kowloon Dock, in shops in Hongkong, on board steamers, &c.
7. In the first year, Mr. WnyTE being Magistrate, several boys were sent to the Reformatory. After his departure very few have been sent by the Government Department. In the last six years only nine boys have been received, and these few from the Registrar General. Of these a certain CHAN-A-FAT entered the Reformatory in 1879 and left in 1884. He went to Singapore to join some of his relatives. Another, by name LI-A-CHEONG, entered in 1880 and left in 1884. The other seven are yet in the Reformatory, two since 1882, two since 1884, and three entered this year.
8. Two Chinese youths have been sent by the Colonial Secretary to the Reformatory to remain there three years. One, who belonged to a very good family, remained voluntary two years, and would have remained the third year,
had he not been pardoned. He left the Reformatory with good recollections of the Establishment. The other ran away and was caught by the Police. We think he is in Gaol at present.
9. With the exception of four, we never had any boy, who left the Reformatory, taken before the Magis- trate the second time.
10. Some of the old inmates of the Reformatory kept a good recollection of the Establishment, and used to come on the Chinese New Year day to pay their respects to the Directors of the Establishment.
11. The Establishment never refused any boy sent to it, and it is always ready to receive them.
( 13 )
12. We have observed that the Chinese boys who could be used to work became easily better. We have shops in the Reformatory of tailorship, shoemakership, and carpentership, besides agriculture.
13. We have to complain of the difficulty of finding work, as it is impossible to compete with the extraordinary cheapness of the work lately introduced in Hongkong by the great number of shopkeepers.
14. We have to remark that the general custom pre- vailing among Chinese of early inarriages prevent the Chinese boys from remaining in the Reformatory after the age
of 17 and 18 years. For these another system is to be adopted than that in vigour at present at the Reform- atory.
The reason why the Government asked for the Report was, that in the same year, the question of a Reformatory in Hongkong was taken up at home by the Secretary of State for the Colonies. His Excellency suggested to ask the Directors of our Reformatory whether they would consent to have it placed in the same footing to a certified Reformatory, with the condition that they would retain the right of taking pupils in addition to those sent by the Government or the Courts of the Colony.
An Ordinance passed in Hongkong in 1886, and the Directors of the West Point Reformatory, having been invited to consider the matter, accepted to receive the boys with some conditions, among which were:-(1.) that the
of years age, and (2.) that boys should be under fourteen the wall of the Reformatory should be raised as much as to prevent boys from leaving the Establishment before the fixed time. The conditions were not complied with, and this rendered very difficult the situation of the Directors
526
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