24-
kong Police Force had enlisted for active service and twenty more were ready at end of the year to proceed to England.
The following members of this Force were killed while on active service during the year;—
P.C. A 25 Herbert George Wakeford,..... K.R.R. killed on 17. 5.16.
17
11
A 52 Arthur Allchurch,
A 27 Ernest George Painting.
י!
A 114 Peter Boyd Gardner,......R.F.C.
1. 7.16.
1. 7.16. 4.12.16.
The District Watchmen Force, mumbering 100, to which the Government contributes $2,000 per annum, was well supported by the Chinese during the year. These watchmen patrol the streets in the Chinese quarter of the City. They are placed on police beats and are supervised by the European police on section patrol,
The total umber of persons committed to Victoria Gaol was 4,169 as compared with 4,179 in 1915. Of these 1,588 were cum- mitted for criminal offences, against 1,200 in 1915. Of committals for non-criminal offences there were 18 less under the Harbour Ordinance, and 136 more for hawking without a licence, than in
1915.
The daily average of prisoners confined in the Gaol was 638, the average for 1915 being 594, and the highest previous average being 726 in 1904. The percentage of prisoners to population, according to the daily average of the former and the estimated number of the latter, was 0-12. The average percentage for the last ten years was (12. Owing, however, to the large floating population, which is constantly moving between the Colony and Cinton, the percentage of crime to population does not convey an accurate idea of the comparative criminality of the residents of the Colony. The Gaol has necomimodation for 707 prisoners.
The prison discipline was satisfactory, the average of punish- ments per prisoner being 134 us compared with 141 in 1915 and 1-34 in 1914.
Jong senteng prisoners serving two years and upwards are taught useful trades, including printing, book-binding, tin-smithing, mat-making, floring, carpentering, etc. The profit on the work done was $68,209 as against $63,515 in 1915. A sum of $4,060 was received and credited to Government for non-Government work against $3,082 in 1915.
IX-VITAL STATISTICS.
(a)-POPULATION.
The civil population of the Colony, according to the Census taken on May 20th, 1911, was 456,739, of whom 104,287 reside in the New Territories and in New Kowloon; at the Census taken in 1906 it was 201,967 exclusive of the New Territories and of New
Kowloon. The estimated total population at the middle of the year under review was 528,010, but this includes the New Territories ; and, as the birth and death figures given below do not include those from this area (with the exception of New Kowloon), the popula- Lion for the purposes of calculating these rates is estimated at 431,510, of whomi 13,390 were Non-Chinese.
The distribution of population estimated to the middle of 1918
was as follows:-
Non-Chinese Civil Community,
..13,390
City of Victoria (including Peak), . 270,300 Villages of Hongkong,
15,250
Kowloon (including New Kowloon), 73,000
New Territories,...
96,500
Population afloat,
57,570
Total Chinese Population,
514,620
528,010
Chinese
Population.
Total (Svil Population,
(b.)—PUBLIC HEALTH AND SANITATION,
The activity in building operations, which has been so notice- able a feature since 1912 has not alated, and the demand for housing accommodation by the Chinese continued to be greatly in excess of the supply, as many of those who fled with their families to Hongkong during 1911, 1912 and 1913 elected to remain in the Colony.
The corrected birth-rate for the year was 81 per 1,000 among the Chinese community and 20-05 per 1,000 among the Non-Chinese community, as compared with 8-4 and 132 during 1915.
The death-rate for the year was 246 per 1,000 among the Chinese community and 15:08 among the Non-Chinese community, as compared with 190 and 94 during 1915.
The number of deaths from Malaria (378) shows an increase on the previous year (366). The deaths of Chinese from this cause in the City of Victoria numbered 182 out of a population of 270,300 or a rate of 0·6 per 1,000 per annum.
The deaths from Plague numbered 39 as compared with 144 in 1915.
Small-pox deaths numbered 542, all Chinese, with the excep tion of 3 British and one each American, Portuguese, and Indian.
There were 2,112 deaths from respiratory diseases among the Chinese, as compared with 2,303 in 1915. Pulmonary Tuberculosis and Phthisis claimed 963 Chinese victims, while other forms of Tuberculosis represent an additional 554 deaths, making a total of 1,517 or 14-4 per cent of the total deaths among that community.
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