523
Hygiene has been made a compulsory subject, and has been taught with satisfactory results in all Government and Graut Schools. 1,524 children received instrction in it during the year.
The Revenue derived from School Fees was $41,170.50. The Expenditure was $158,677.58, being 2.28% of the total expenditure of the Colony.
V.-PUBLIC WORKS.
The principal public works in progress during the year were the Tytam Tuk Water- works (1st Section) and the Kowloon Waterworks, both of which have been described in previous reports. The former made good progress and the latter fair; a contract for 2 miles of the catchwaters in connection with it was let and was well advanced at the end of the year.
Of the larger buildings, the New Law Courts, Harbour Office and Westeru Market were all under construction, and the foundations of the New Government Offices were almost completed; the decision to erect a Clock Tower necessitating extra foundations prevented this Contract being entirely closed. The New Light and Tower at Green Island, the Disin- fecting Station in Kowloon, Mongkoktsui Market and Yaumati School were finished, and the Gunpowder Depôt, Extension to Staff Quarters Government Civil Hospital, Taipo Quarters, and Bacteriological Institute approached completion. The works of reconstruction of gullies and extension of nullah training were continued, $10,000 being spent on the former and over $20,000 on the latter: the Albany Nullah being one of the watercourses dealt with.
The Taikoktsui Reclamation was finished. $150,000 was spent on further resumption of insanitary property in the vicinity of Mee Lun Lane. The system of 100-foot roads in Kowloon was extended; the section of Robinson Road running North and South between the sea and the Yaumati Theatre was finished, and also the branch to the westward (Sixth Street), and some progress was made with a further extension of this system near the Disinfecting Station, without expense to the Colony as the spoil from this road excavation was used for private reclamation in front of the Pumping Station.
The excavation of the sites for the New Albany Filter Beds was completed and the New Watchmen's House built,
The work on the Rider Main System was continued and Districts Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4 were completed and brought under control.
The total amount expended on Public Works Extraordinary, exclusive of the Praya East Reclamation and Rider-Mains, was $1,775,138.58, and on works annually recurrent, $383,798.06.
VL-GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS.
(a.) HOSPITALS.
Government Hospitals consist of the Civil Hospital to which is attached an isolated Maternity Hospital, the Victoria Hospital for Women and Children, the Kennedy Town Infectious Diseases Hospital, and the hulk "Hygeia" used mainly for the treatment of small-pox.
The Civil Hospital contains 150 beds in 19 wards. 2,704 in-patients and 14,976 out- patients were treated during the year 1905, 267 cases of malarial fever were admitted as against 228 in 1904 and 346 in 1903. The Maternity Hospital contains 6 beds for Europeans and 4 for Asiatics. 64 confinements occurred during the year with 2 deaths. The Victoria Hospital, opened in November, 1903, by Sir HENBY BLAKE, is situated at the Peak and contains 41 beds. During 1905, 212 patients were under treatment. Kennedy Town Hospital contains 26 beds. In 1905, 42 cases were treated, of which 33 were plague. On the "Hygeia" 50 cases were treated, of which 48 were small-pox.
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(b.) LUNATIC ASYLUM.
The Asylum is under the direction of the Superintendent of the Civil Hospital, European and Chinese patients are separate, the European portion containing 8 beds in separate wards and the Chinese portion 16 beds. 178 patients of all races were treated during 1905, and there were 8 deaths.
(e) THE TUNG WAH HOSPITAL.
This Hospital, opened in 1872, is mainly supported by the voluntary subscriptions of Chinese, but receives an annual grant of $6,000 from the Government. Only Chinese are treated in this institution which takes the place of a poor-house and hospital for Chinese sick and destitute, and is administered by an annually-elected body of 15 Chinese directors. Chinese as well as European methods of treatment are employed in accordance with the wishes expressed by the patients or their friends. The Hospital is managed by a Committee of Chinese gentlemen annually elected, their appointment being submitted to the Governor for confirmation.
VII-INSTITUTIONS NOT SUPPORTED BY GOVERNMENT. Among institutions recognised and encouraged but not to any considerable extent sup- ported by Government may be mentioned the Pó Leung Kuk, the College of Medicine for Chinese, and the City Hall.
The Pó Leung Kuk is an institution, incorporated in 1893, presided over by the Regis- trar-General and an annually-elected Committee of 12 Chinese gentlemen, for the protection of women and children. The inmates of the Home receive daily instruction in elementary subjects and are allowed to earn pocket-money by needle-work. During 1905, a total of 528 persons were admitted. Of these, 143 were released after enquiry, 19 were released under bond, 99 were placed in charge of their husbands, parents or relations, 3 were placed in charge of the Japanese Consul, 84 were sent to charitable institutions in China, 52 were sent to School, Convent or Refuge, 15 were adopted, 60 were married and 3 died.
The Hongkong College of Medicine for Chinese was founded in 1897, for the purpose of teaching surgery, medicine, and obstetrics to Chinese. The government of the College is vested in the Court, of which the Rector of the College, who has always been a Governinent official, is President. Ninety-five students have been enrolled up to the end of 1905, and of these 24 have become qualified licentiates and have obtained various posts under Government and elsewhere. The institution is of great value in spreading a knowledge of Western me- dical science among the Chinese; and in addition to the employment of certain of the licen- tiates in the public service, the senior students have frequently been roade use of for various purposes during epidemics. A Government grant-in-aid of $2,500 is made to the College, to be used as honoraria to the lecturers.
The City Hall receives an annual Grant of $1,200 from Government. Reference Library and Museum.
VIII-CRIMINAL AND POLICE.
It contains a
The total of all cases reported to the Police was 11,517 being a decrease of 295 or 2.49 per cent. over those reported in 1904. In the division of these cases into serious and minor offences there is a decrease in the former as compared with the previous year from 3,582 to 2,984, that is of 15:51 per cent., occurring in every nature of crime with the exception of assault with intent to rob.
The number of serious offences reported was 772 below the average of the quinquennial period commencing with the 1901.
year
The number of minor offences reported shows an increase of 253 over the number for 1904, mainly in offences against the Spirits and Prepared Opium Ordinances.
The number of minor offences reported was 1,454 over the average of the quinquennial period.
The total number of persons committed to Victoria Gaol was 6,823, as compared with 7,464 in 1904, but of these only 2,816 were committed for criminal offences, against 4,027 in 1904. Of committals for non-criminal offences there were 121 more under the Prepared Opium Ordinance and 132 less for infringement of Sanitary Bye-laws.
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