Sessional_Paper_1896 — Page 392

HONGKONG.

REGISTRAR GENERAL'S REPORT FOR 1895.

Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Governor.

389

No. 24

285

96

REGISTRAR GENERAL'S OFFICE,

HONGKONG, 20th May, 1896.

SIR,I have the honour to forward herewith for your Excellency's information my report on the work of this department for the year 1895.

REVENUE.

The revenue collected during the year amounted to $92,921.00, and exceeded that of 1894 by $10,464.14. (See Tables I A., Ï B., I C.) The increase in the revenue from the markets is $7,995.54. Of this sum $6,925.76 is to be credited to the New Central Market, although all the markets, with the exception of the small market at Shektongtsui, have contributed to the increase. The revenue from hawkers licences which fell off in 1894 has risen again and is nearly equal to that collected in 1893, but the fifty vegetable stalls in the New Central Market have no doubt reduced the number of vegetable hawkers required in the Central District. The New Central Market was opened on the 1st of May. Table ID gives a comparison between it and the temporary market on the Praya, the accommodation provided for the sale of different articles of food, and the amount of rent collected in the latter in April and in the former in December. Two modifications of the sections into which the New Market was divided have been made by increasing the number of wholesale vege table shops at the expense of the wholesale fish section, and by allotting ten shops in the poultry section to chandlers. Both the poultry section and the wholesale fish section are still too large, and I do not anticipate that the shops at present empty will be let. In the temporary market there were only seven vegetable stalls, and in consequence the Praya and adjacent streets were always full of hawkers of vegetables, and the Police were never able to keep them clear. The provision of fifty stalls has put an end to this. All the stalls are let and there was a very keen competition for them at first, the high- est rent offered being $17.20 a month; but several of the lessees of the more highly rented stalls have found the rents too high and have been compelled to cease business, and the stalls have been re-let to others at a lower figure. Thus two stalls let in June for $16.23 and $15.90 are now let for $8.12 and $7.20 respectively, and the lowest point has not yet been reached.

The improved accommodation provided in the new market has apparently attracted customers at the expense of the Western Market, in which several stalls have been surrendered, although previous to the opening of the New Central Market rents had steadily increased in the former market.

EXPENDITURE.

The actual expenditure in 1895 under the head of personal emoluments and other charges, includ- ing exchange compensation, was $18,585.13 as against $22,489.81 in 1894.

PÓ LEUNG KUK INCORPORATION ORDINANCE.

(No. 18 of 1893.)

WOMEN AND GIRLS' PROTECTION ORDINANCE. (No. 11 of 1890.)

Under Part II of the Ordinance 195 women and girls were detained and were disposed of as shown in Table II (4). The number of girls still under the protection of the office under section 19 of the Ordinance has been further reduced to 57 (Table II B). Forty-eight girls were reported to the Pó Léung Kuk as missing in Hongkong during the year, and only ten were found again. The number of women who disappeared was 46, and only four were found again. These figures which are given in Table II (C) compare favourably with those for the year 1893.

The repeal of Part III of Ordinance 11 of 1890, which enforced the registration of brothels, has resulted, as was anticipated, in a large increase in the number of what are termed "sly brothels," ie., those which have no sign-board and are not used as public houses of entertainment. In September the number was estimated by the Police to be 124 and the number of inmates 424. These brothels are largely used by pimps as places of assignation for married women, and as it is known that in them young girls are introduced to a life of prostitution by their owners, they have been searched from time to time under warrant and rescues have been effected of girls who were dealt with under the "Ordinance. Most of the sly brothels only occupy one floor of a house and some even only half of a