380
THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 3RD MAY, 1890.
TABLE E.
RETURN shewing the STRENGTH, ENLISTMENTS und CASUALTIES in the Police Force during 1889.
Strength of the Force.
Enlistments. Deaths.
Resignations through Sickness.
Resignations through expiry of term of
Dismissals
Total Number
or
Service or otherwise.
Desertions.
of Casualties.
Europeans,
120
29
5
13
7
25
Indians,
227
28
4
2
30
6
42
Chinese,
350
36
5
3
21
33
Total,......
697*
93
14
5
64
17
100
* Exclusive of-1 Captain Superintendent,
1 Adjutant.
4 Clerks.
55 Coolies,
Police Department, Hongkong, 28th January, 1890.
Grand Total, 758.
W. M. DEANE,
Captain Superintendent of Police.
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.-No. 183.
The following Report of the Superintendent of the Fire Brigade, for the year 1889, which was laid before the Legislative Council on the 29th ultimo, is published for general information.
By Command,
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 3rd May, 1890.
No. 7.
W. M. DEANE, Acting Colonial Secretary.
FIRE BRIGADE DEPARTMENT, HONGKONG, 28th February, 1890.
SIR, I have the honour to report that during the year ending 31st December, 1889, there were twenty-one fires at which the service of the Brigade were required in which fifteen houses were totally destroyed and thirteen houses partially damaged.
2. The value of the property destroyed calculated on the amount of insurance effected and a view of the premises subsequent to the fires is estimated at $98,200.
3. The return shows a considerable decrease in the number of fires as compared with that of the years 1887 and 1888, the number for those years respectively being thirty-five and forty-five, the diminution being possibly due to the proceedings under the Fire Enquiry Ordinance and to greater caution in the issue of Fire Policies.
4. Of the fires that took place seventeen formed the subject of official enquiry under the Ordinance, with the result, generally speaking, that there were either gravely suspicious circumstances brought to light or no satisfactory explanation of the cause of fire was forthcoming. As a rule the suspicious circumstances were too negative in character to warrant a prosecution, and during the year only one such prosecution was ordered, and even this went no further than a committal for trial and terminated in a nolle prosequi.
5. Whatever may be the moral effect of these enquiries of which one can only judge hypotheti- cally, by comparing the number of fires before and after the institution of them, I am strongly of opinion that they are most necessary, and that they supply a want which had long been felt.
6. Where the fire is accidental it must be gratifying to the owner of the premises that its accidental origin should be officially recorded, and where it is the result of a crime it is important in the interests of the public that the matter should be exhaustively sifted.
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