Sessional_Paper_1902 — Page 910

11

()-FIRE Brigade,

The Superintendent of Fire Brigade is also Captain Superintendent of Police and Superintendent of Victoria Gaol. The European members of the Brigade, with the exception of the Engineer, are also members of the Police Force voluntarily enlisted, and for their services in the Brigade they receive a small addition to their

pay.

There are also a number of Chinese foremen and engine-drivers. The Bri- gade possesses a powerful floating fire engine for use in the Harbour, four land steam engines, and 29 despatch boxes. The 5 fire engines were all built by Messrs. SHAND & MASON.

There were 58 fires and 84 incipient fires during the year, and the Brigade turned out 37 times. The estimated damage caused by the fires was $630,381 and by the incipient fires $212. The only year in.which greater damage was done by fire was 1898, when the total damage was $829,814.

Towards the end of the year the work of extinguishing fires was rendered more arduous by the drought and the consequent want of water in the mains.

VII.-JUDICIAL STATISTICS.

The number of Convictions in the Superior Courts during the last 4 years are as follow:

1898 1899 1900 1901

1. For Offences against the Person,.. 2. For Offences against Property,... 3. For other Offences,

19

49

54

54

17 18

7

7

3

10

12

21

The total of all cases reported to the Police was 9,172 as against 9,873 in 1900. This represents a decrease of 7.10 per cent. In offences which are classed under the term "serious" there was a decrease of 128 cases or 3.62 per cent.; in Minor Offences a decrease of 573 cases or 9.03 per cent. Three men were arrested and convicted for being members of an unlawful (the Triad) society. There was a notable decrease in piracies and armed robberies, partly no doubt owing to the efficacy of recent legislation on the subject.

VIII-VITAL STATISTICS.

(1.)-POPULATION.

The last Census was taken in January, 1901, when the population was found to be 283,975, exclusive of the Army and Navy. The numbers of those forces amounted to 7,640 and 5,597, respectively. In the middle of the year the popu- lation is estimated to have been as follows:-

ན

Non-Chinese Civil Population,

Chinese Population,

Army,

Navy,

9,560

280,564

5,462

5,074

300,660

The New Territory was not included in the recent Census, but a fairly accurate enumeration of its population was made. It numbers about 100,000, which brings the total population of the Colony up to rather over 400,000.

811