CO129-527-9 Proposed establishment of industrial school for boys. Question of Catholic and Salvation Army influence 8-7-1930 - 31-10-1930 — Page 17

17

医

No 362.

Ν

RECEIVED

11 AUG 1930

OOL, OFFIOR

GOVERNMENT HOUSE,

HONG KONG. 8th July, 1930.

Vel-201

My Lord,

I have the honour to inform Your Lordship that in 1923 this Government was approached by a number of leading members of the Chinese community with a view to the

establishment in Hong Kong of an Industrial School for boys, which would help to solve the problem of young boys of the

poorer classes who find an honest livelihood hard to earn.

Between 1923 and 1925 certain sites were examined and in June

1925 it was decided by the Governor in Council to recommend

to the then Secretary of State for the Colonies the grant,

under appropriate restrictions, of a suitable area of Crown

Land for use as an Industrial School to the Salesian Fathers,

who already direct and manage in the Colony such a school on

a small scale known as the St. Louis Industrial School and

whose Superior Provincial in China has co-operated closely

with this Government in examining the possibility of extending

their work here. The Salesian Fathers, a body of Italian

origin, hold the very highest reputation and their energy,

experience and success in the management of Industrial Homes

for boys are well known throughout the East.

The general strike in 1925 and the economic

difficulties which followed caused this project to be laid

aside, but I am sanguine that funds for such a development

can

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

LORD PASSFIELD,

&C.,

&C.,

&c.