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It is significant that while the total increase in the population of the Colony during the five years between 1897 and 1901 was 35,095, the increase during the same period in the population of British Kowloon (which used to be a garden suburb of Victoria) was no less than 16,534, or nearly half the increase for the whole Colony.
There were 1,088 births during the year, and of that number 848 were Chinese. This is equal to a general birth-rate of 3.6 per 1,000, as compared with 3.3 in 1900, 4.3 in 1899, and 4.7 in 1898. Owing, however, to the large number of Chinese infants who die unregistered, it is estimated that a more correct birth-rate for the past year would be 4.7 per 1,000.
(b.)-PUBLIC HEALTH.
As compared with the 1,088 births mentioned above, there were 7,082 deaths in 1901. This gives a death-rate of 23.5 per 1,000, as compared with 23.9 in 1900, 23.8 in 1899, and an average of 22.5 per 1,000 during the past five years. The deaths included 1,562 from bubonic plague, which again visited the Colony and ran its usual course. Excluding the deaths from plague, the death-rate for 1901 would have been 19.03 per 1,000. Among the non-Chinese the deaths numbered 412, of which 302 were among the Civil population, 96 among the Army, and 14 among the Navy. This is equal to a death-rate of 20.5 per 1,000. The British deaths among the non-Chinese numbered 116; the rest were chiefly Indians, Malays and Portuguese.
One thousand six hundred and fifty-one (1,651) cases of Plague were reported during the year, of which all but 89 were fatal. The disease showed an increased tendency to attack Europeans. The chief causes of death among the non-Chinese resident civil community were plague, phthisis, malaria and pneumonia. There were more cases of small-pox than usual, and some cholera cases were imported.
It is hoped that when the much-nccded improvement in the sanitary condition of the City is effected, there will be a large decrease not only in the deaths resulting from bubonic plague but also in those from phthisis and other chest diseases, which are more or less directly attributable to overcrowded and insanitary dwellings.
It is to be regretted that the experiment of once more sending troops to reside in the building which was originally destined to be a Military Sanitarium, has not proved successful, and the hopes expressed in paragraph-VIIL (4) & of my Report on the Blue Book for last year have not been realised. After a brief period of freedom from malaria, the troops stationed there began to be attacked in consider- able numbers and had to be wholly withdrawn from the building, which now stands empty.
The treatment with larvicides of the breeding places of the Anopheles mosquito is being actively continued.
(c.)-SANITATION.
In spite of the efforts of the Government, the Sanitary Board and the Legis- lature, during the past few years, the sanitary state of the Colony still leaves much to be desired. The City of Victoria retains its unenvied pre-eminence in the matter of surface crowding, and in spite of the enforcement of the provisions of the Insani- tary Properties Ordinance of 1899, the condition of the vast majority of the Chinese dwelling houses is far from meeting the requirements of modern sanitary science. As there seemed to be no prospect of amelioration without the adoption of more radical measures than had hitherto been attempted, and as the Community showed by a Peti-
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tion which they addressed to you in the course of the year that they were prepared to face the heavy expenditure which stronger measures would certainly involve, Sir HENRY BLAKE asked you to send out an expert to enquire into the sanitary state of the Colony and report upon the steps which in his opinion should be taken to remedy had you existing defects. In October, 1901, you informed Sir HENRY BLAKE that selected Mr. OSBERT CHADWICK, C.M.G., a sanitary expert of wide experience and About the same time you no stranger to Hongkong, for this special work. informed him that you had selected Professor SIMPSON, M.D., to pay a simultaneous visit to the Colony with a view to a thorough enquiry being made into the origiu of bubonic plague, and the best means of providing against its annual re-appear- A notice of the work done by these gentlemen, who had not yet arrived in the Colony at the end of 1901 will, it is hoped, appear in next year's Report. A certain result of their visit must be the introduction of legislative measures to con- solidate and amend the present Health and Building Ordinances.
ance.
(d)----CLIMATE.
The average monthly temperature throughout the year was 72.1° F. as com- pared with 71.6° F. during 1900; the maximum monthly temperature was attained in July, when it reached 82.2' F., and the minimum monthly temperature was recorded in the month of February, being 54.8° F.
The highest recorded temperature during the year was 92.7° F. on August 3rd, and the lowest was 38.4° F. on February 4th.
The total Rainfall for the year was 55.78 inches, as compared with 73.73 inches in 1900 and an average of 77.2 inches during the past ten years. The wettest month was May with 14.10 inches, while there wore also 14 inches of rain in the month of August; the driest month was January, with only 0.535 inch. The greatest amount of rain which fell on any one day was 4.23 inches on April 7th, while no rain fell on 213 days of the year; the relative humidity of the atmosphere throughout the year was 75 per cent, as compared with 77 per cent. in the previous year.
The average daily amount of sunshine throughout the year was 5.5 hours, and on 35 days only was no sunshine recorded.
It may
be mentioned that the rainfall of 1901 was less than half the rainfall of the year
1891. Taitam Reservoir, the principal source of water supply, was not filled throught the year, and only one rainfall during the last 20 years (that of 1895) was lower than that of the year under review.
IX.-POSTAL SERVICE.
The cessation of the Boxer troubles in the North of China gave an impetus to trade, which was faithfully reflected in the steady increase in postal business.
The monthly sales of stamps showed an increase of $21,765, as compared with 1900, and for the first time since the adoption of the penny postage the revenue exceeded the highest revenue from the same source in former days. The returns from the Branch Post Offices at Shanghai and in China also show gratify- ing results.
The Revenue of the Department from all sources in 1901 was $355,912, and the Expenditure $273,685. The nett balance to the Hongkong Post Office on the year's transactions amounted to $82,227.
The Acting Postmaster General comments on the fact that though many foreign Post Offices were opened at various ports in China during 1901, no new British Offices or Agencies were opened. He is strongly in favour of the establish- ment of Agencies at Chefoo, Tientsin and Peking.
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