CO129-469 - Governor Sir Stubbs - 1921 [9-12] — Page 362

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To avoid the complete seclusion from friends and relatives, which removal of Chinese plague patients to the Kennedy Town Infectious Diseases Hospital entailed, four District Plague Hospitals are now maintained by the Chinese in various parts of the Colony. These hospitals are under the management of the Chinese Public Dispensaries Committee.

The Kwong Wa Hospital for Chinese in the Kowloon Peninsula was opened on the 9th October, 1911. It occupies a site having an area of three acres and provides accommodation for 210 patients. The existing buildings contain 70 beds and 4,087 patients were accommodated during 1920. The collection of sub- scriptions and the supervision of the building were undertaken by a special committee under the chairmanship of the Secretary for Chinese Affairs. The hospital receives a grant of $8,500 per annum from the Government.

As will be noticed from the remarks made under the heading Education the Hongkong University is also an Aided Institution.

VII-INSTITUTIONS NOT SUPPORTED BY GOVERNMENT.

One of the most important institutions in the Colony not sup- ported by the Government is the Matilda Hospital, which stande on a commanding site of nearly three acres at Mount Kellet in the Hill District. An account of this hospital will be found in the report for 1917,

Among institutions recognised and encouraged, but not to any considerable extent supported by Government may be mentioned the Pó Leung Kuk, the Eyre Refuge, the City Hall, and the Chinese Public Dispensaries.

The Pó Leung Kuk is a Chinese Society founded in 1878 for the suppression of kidnapping and traffic in human beings. It was incorporated in 1893 and is presided over by the Secretary for Chinese Affairs and not more than nine directors nominated by the Governor. The actual management is entrusted to a committee elected annually by the members of the Society. The Society's buildings bave been declared a Refuge under the Women and Girls Protection Ordinance, and almost all women and girls detained by the Secretary for Chinese Affairs under that Ordinance are sent to the Pó Leung Kuk. During 1920 the number of persons admitted was 405 and at the close of the year 47 remained under the care of the Society. The inmates are under the immediate charge of a Chinese matron, and instruction is given them by the matron and a Chinese teacher in elementary subjecta and in needlework.

The Eyre Diocesan Refuge is an institution, under mission auspices, founded for rescue work among the Chinese. It was housed in the Belilios Reformatory up to the outbreak of war, but

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the work is at present carried on at Kowloon City. A small grant is made by the Government.

The City Hall receives an annual grant of $1,200 from Govern- ment. It contains a theatre, some large rooms which are used for balls, meetings, concerts, etc., a museum in which are some very fair specimens, and a large reference and lending library, to which new volumes are added from time to time, as funda will allow. building was erected in 1866-9 by subscription.

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Small grants are also given to the Italian Convent, the French Convent, (both of which take in and tend abandoned or sick infauta), the West Point Orphanage, the Seamen's Hospital, and other chari- table institutions.

The Chinese Public Dispensaries are institutions maintained in order to provide the Chinese with the services of doctors, whose certificates will be accepted by the Registrar of Deaths, and with the services of interpreters, who can assist the inmates of houses, where a case of infectious disease has occurred. Coolies are engaged and ambulances and dead vans provided in order to remove cases of infectious disease to the Infectious Diseases Hospital and dead bodies to the Mortuary. The Dispensaries receive sick infants and send them to one or other of the Convents and arrange for the burial of dead infants. Free advice and medicine are given and patients are attended at their houses. There are eight Dispensaries in existence. The total cost of maintenance was $37,293 for the year 1920. The Government makes an annual grant of $7,000, and the rest of the cost is defrayed by voluntary subscription. The Dispen- saries are conducted by committees under the chairmanship of the Secretary for Chinese Affairs,

VIII-CRIMINAL AND POLICE.

The total of all cases reported to the Police was 11,912 being an increase of 1,370 or 13 per cent, as compared with 1918. There was in 199Q an increase in serious offences of 449 or 9·90 per cent. as compared with the previous year. The number of serious offences reported was 977 over the average of the quinquennial period com- mencing with the year 1916. The number of minor offences reported shows an increase of 1 as compared with 1910 and was 589 over the average of the quinquennial period.

The total strength of the Police Force in 1920 was Europeans 178, Indiana 477, Chinese 626, making a total of 1,281 exclusive of the five superior officers and staff of clerka and coolies. These figures include police paid for by the Railway and other Government Departments. Of this force 14 Europeane. 132 Indians, and 53 Chinese were stationed in the New Territories during the year.

During the year 1920, 7 members of the Hongkong Police Force returned to the Colony from actire service, and resumed their police duties. There is still one man who has not yet returned.

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