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VIIL—CRIMINAL AND POLICE.
The total of all cases reported to the Police was 14,200 being an increase of 261 or 187 per cent, as compared with 1922. There was in 1923 au increase in serious offences of 123 or 0.54 per cent. as compared with the previous year. The number of serious offences reported was 156 below the average of the quinquennial period commencing with the year 1919. The number of minor offences reported shows an increase of 238 as compared with 1922 and was 1.371 over the average of the quinquennial period.
The total strength of the Police Force in 1923 was Europeans 235, Indians 500, Chinese 805 making a total of 1,540 exclusive of the six superior officers and staff of clerks and coolies. These figures include police paid for by the railway and other Government departments. Of this force 20 Europeans, 34 Indians, and 169 Chinese were stationed in the New Territories during the year.
The District Watchmen Force, numbering 102, 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. A detective branch of the force has done useful work under the supervision of a European Inspector.
The total number of persons committed to Victoria Gaol was 5,338 as compared with 5,014 in 1922. Of these 920 were committed for criminal offences against 1,358 in 1922. Of com- mittals for noueriminal offences there were 59 less for hawking without a licence, and 24 more for unlawfully boarding steamers. than in 1922.
The daily average of prisoners confined in the Gaol was 861 the average for 1922 being 787. and the highest previous average being 764 in 1921. 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 Canton, the percentage of crime to population does not convey an accurate iden of the comparative criminality of the residents of the Colony. The Victoria Gaol has accommodation for 700 prisoners including patients in Hospital. The Branch Prison at Laichikok has accommodation for 200 prisoners in association.
The prison discipline was very satisfactory, the average of punishments per prisoner being 0·5 as compared with 052 in 1922 and 12.6 in 1921.
Long sentence prisoners serving two years and upwards are taught useful trades, including printing, book-binding, tin-
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smithing, mat-making, tailoring, carpentering, etc. The profit on the work done was $116,714.72 as against $125,571.47 in 1922. A sum of $4,207 was received and credited to Government for non-Government work as against $3,298 in 1922.
IX.-VITAL STATISTICS.
(a.)-POPULATION.
The civil population of the Colony, according to the census taken on April 24th, 1921, was 625,166, of whom 83,163 reside in the New Territories and in New Kowloon; at the census taken in 1911 it was 456,739 with 104,287 as the figure for the New Territories and New Kowloon. The estimated total population at the middle of the year under review was 681,800, 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 population for the purposes of calculating these rates is estimated at 597,300, of whom 15,500 were non-Chinese.
The distribution of population estimated to the middle of 1923 was as follows :-
Chinese
Population.
Non-Chinese Civil Community,...
15,500
City of Victoria (including Peak),... Villages of Hongkong,
350,000
26,300
Kowloon (including New Kowloon),
140,000
New Territories,
84,500
Population afloat,
65,500
666,300
681,800
Total Chinese Population, ........
Total Civil Population,
(6.)-PUBLIC HEALTH AND SANITATION.
The activity in building operations, which has been so notice- able a feature since 1912, has not abated, 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 birth-rate for the year was 6'97* per 1,000 among the Chinese community and 23-03 per 1,000 among the non-Chinese community, as compared with 6·25 and 22·84 for 1922.
*This figure is wholly misleading as it is impossible to register more than a portion of the births.
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