CO129-570-3 Sino-Japanese War- proposed refugee camp in demilitarised area of South China 1-6-1938 - 11-1-1939 — Page 72

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QUESTION.

Hon. Mr. J.J. Paterson asked:-

Has the Government any statement to make on the refugee

situation?

The Colonial Secretary replied:-

The refugee problem is complicated by the absence of

accurate statistics and, in particular, of any means of

estimating the extent to which the poorest class of the resident population has been displaced from its homes by a refugee influx of relatively wealthier persons. There is

good reason for believing that this has taken place on a

large scale. According to the information available which

is derived mainly from railway and steamer figures, though these have been checked against other returns, it is

reasonable to suppose that the net increase of the population

during the last 12 months coming from outside the Colony is somewhat under 250,000 persons. Inclusive of these, it is

estimated that since the 1931 census was taken the population

has increased at least 50 per cent., while the number of tene- ments has increased by about 8 per cent. over the same period. From these estimates it is possible to gain some idea of the

overcrowding which now obtains locally.

There have been some 30,000 persons sleeping in the streets

during the current summer month. As no summer count has

been made previously it is not possible to state the

extent to which this is in excess of the normal.

Competent observers have stated that this is three to four times as many as the number usual at this season.

The