Registrar-Generals-Department-Annual-report-1965-1966 — Page 12

Bankruptcies and Liquidations

14. The number of cases in which receiving, administration, or winding-up orders were made increased from 22 to 36, but there were of course many more failures which never came into the hands of the Official Receiver. The liquidations included that of The Canton Trust and Commercial Bank, Limited, which with estimated liabilities of over $152,000,000 is by far the largest liquidation ever handled by the Official Receiver (see paragraphs 112-114).

Births, Marriages and Deaths

15. The number of births registered in 1965 dropped by 6,324 to 102,195 including 100,690 Chinese and 1,505 non-Chinese. For the sixth successive year the birth rate fell, the 1965 rate of 27 per 1,000 of population being 2.4 below that for 1964 and 10.1 below that for 1960. 3,623 births were post-registered more than one year after birth, and 106 entries made in the Adopted Children Register.

16. The number of marriages reigstered in 1965-66 was at 15,533 2,925 more than in 1964-65, and constituted a new record. The sharp increase was probably due to the fact that the preceding Chinese lunar year was unlucky for marriages, being a 'blind' year, that is to say a lunar year in which there was no first day of Spring, the first- day of Spring in 1964 occurring before the lunar year began and the first day of Spring in 1965 occurring after 2nd February 1965. Of the 15,533 marriages registered 13,911 were performed at the Registries and 1,622 in churches. The number of marriages in the New Territories Sub-Registries showed a gratifying increase of 257 to 981.

17. 17,621 deaths were registered, 492 less than in 1964, and the crude death rate dropped to 4.7 per 1,000 of population, which is one of the lowest in the world, the rate for the whole world being estimated at 16. The infant mortality rate continued its uninterrupted downward trend since 1950 dropping 2.7 points to 23.7 per thousand live births, at which it compares very favourably with the rates of many of the countries whose rates are quoted for purposes of illustration in para- graph 150.

Revenue and Expenditure

18. The grand total of the Department's contribution to the Colony's revenue in 1965-66 was down by over $2,100,000 to $5,371,704, due almost entirely to the sharp drop in fees taken under the Companies Ordinance. The revenue actually taken was some $550,000 less than

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