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(d.) FORESTRY, BOTANICAL SCIENCE AND AGRICULTURE.
Forty-four thousand five hundred and seventy-seven (44,577) pine trees were planted in Hongkong, and 15,116 were sown in sites. In the New Territories 82,960 were planted and 73.021 sown in sites. 1,500 camphor trees were planted in the New Territories. 331 shade trees were planted in the Streets. The nucleus of a collection of Chinese economic products was formed. Progress was made with the purchase of Chinese pine plantations which are suitably placed to augment Government planting. Investigations were continued with a view to utilizing waste ground in the New Territories, and attention was in particular directed to the possibilities of Tea and of Candlenut trees for this purpose.
(e.) LAND GRANTS AND GENERAL VALUR OF LAND.
The amount received from sales of Crown Land was $315,733.21, being some $76,500 less than the receipts for the previous year. This falling off may be attributed to the general depression of business throughout the year and the consequent tightness of the money market. The principal items were for extensive pier-rights at Kowloon Point for Messrs. BUTTERFIFLD & SwIRE, sites for workmen's dwellings in connection with Messrs. BUTTERFIELD & SWINE'S Shipyard at Quarry Bay and land for extensions of the Hongkong & Whampoa Dock Co.'s Premises at Hunghom.
III-LEGISLATION.
Seventeen Ordinances were passed during 1906, two of which, the Married Women's Property Ordinance, No. 5 of 1906, and the Criminal Evidence Ordinance, No. 14 of 1906, are designed to bring the law of the Colony into line with English Statutes. The former accords to Married Women in Hongkong the like protection with regard to their property as is enjoyed by Married Women in England and other parts of the Empire. The latter introduces the amendment made in the law of England by the Imperial Enactment 61 and 62 Victoria Cap. 36, by which in all criminal proceedings an accused person and the wife or husband, as the case may be, of such person are made competent witnesses for the defence.
The discovery of iron ore in considerable quantities in the New Territories led to the introduction of the Prospecting and Mining Ordinance, No. 7 of 1906, under which the Government is empowered to grant licences to search for and prove minerals and to grant licences and leases of land for the purpose of working mines and minerals.
The Prepared Opium Amendment Ordinance, No. 15 of 1906, was passed to remove any doubt as to whether the provisions of the Prepared Opium Ordinance 1901 applied to Morphine and all Compounds of Opium in addition to Prepared Opium. The Ordinance at the same time makes better provision for the establishment of bonded warehouses for Morphine and Compounds of Opium.
The Merchant Shipping Amendment Ordinance, No. 16 of 1906, makes provision for the prevention of obstruction of vessels and landing places and for the better regulation of junks and similar craft,
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The Revenue derived from School Fees was $46,383.25, $31,478.50 of which was received from Queen's College.
The Expenditure including that on Queen's College was $159,373, being 2.33 per cent. of the total expenditure of the Colony,
The teaching of Hygiene has again received much attention. It is a compulsory study in the 4 highest Classes in all schools where English is taught. Stops have also been taken towards the preparation of a syllabus suited to the Vernacular schools,
Progress was again tested by a competitive examination between the schools for prizes and a shield offered by His Excellency the Governor.
For the Advanced Course there were 64 competitors, composed of 36 boys from 5 schools, and 28 girls from 5 schools. The result was highly satisfactory. Taking the best candidates froin each school as a basis of calculation, 8 schools out of 10 obtained 80 % of full marks or over, and one of the remaining schools nearly as many, There were entered for the Elementary Course 123 competitors. Their work was not proportionately so good. Five scholars obtained over 60 %, and four over 40 %.
The following
Evening Continuation Classes were opened towards the end of the year. table shews the subjects taught and the number of students attending each class.
No. of Students.
Engineering Section
Science Section
Subject.
Mathematics.. Applied Mechanics
Building Construction..
Machine Drawing
39
28
25
16
Chemistry
11
Physics..
18
Hygiene
(Book-keeping. Elementary
15
Do.
Advanced
7
2
35
10
15
15
S
12
17
10
Commercial Arithmetic
English. Junior
Do. Senior
Elementary.
Commercial Section
French.
Do. German
Advanced
Japanese.
Shorthand. Elementary
Do.
Advanced
During the year illustrated lectures were delivered at most of the schools on facts relating to the Empire. The lectures, which, together with the slides, were provided by Mr. MACKINDER, were greatly appreciated by the scholars, whose interest in the various subjects was increased by the ocular demonstration of them. With the exception of minor matters, such as the darkening of roouns to make the lantern slides clearly visible, which was a some- what difficult matter, and the length of the lectures, which had to be given in two parts as they were too lengthy for one sitting, the teachers are full of praise for the courses of lectures supplied, and are satisfied that they have proved highly instructive to their pupils.
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IV.-EDUCATION.
The number of Government and Grant Schools, including Queen's College, is 85, of which 24 are Upper Grade Schools with a staff competent to give instruction in all the subjects of Standard VII, and 61 are Lower Grade Schools under purely native management. Generally speaking, the Upper Grade Schools are taught in English, and the Lower Grade Schools are taught in the Vernacular.
The total number of pupils in average attendance at Government and Grant Schools was 5,496 against 5,328 in 1905. Of these, 1,932 were in Government and 3,564 in Grant Schools: 3,350 pupils received instruction in English, and 2,146 in the Vernacular. The proportion of boys to girls was 3,531 to 1,965.
V.----PUBLIC WORKS.
The principal public works in progress during the year, exclusive of the Railway, dealt with in section XII of this despáteli, were the Tytan) Tak Waterworks (1st Section) and the Kowloon Waterworks, both of which have been described in previous reports. The former made good progress and the latter fair. Though not completed, the Kowloon Water- works were sufficiently advanced to enable them to be utilized for the supply of the Kowloon Peninsula, the water being turned on ou the 24th December. The extension of the distribn- tion system to the important villages of Sham Shai Po, Kowloon City and Taikoktsui was undertaken towards the end of the year.
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