Sessional_Paper_1903 — Page 419

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of small-pox, of which 41 were fatal, occurred during the year, and a somewhat serious outbreak of cholera which was responsible for 433 deaths took place syn- chronously with plague. It is probable that the spread of the disease was encouraged by the shortage of the water-supply in the Spring, which was the result of the deficient rainfall of 1901. There were 425 deaths from malarial fever, and 453 from beri-beri. The total number of deaths from all causes was 6,783, including 352 members of the British and Foreign community.

There was a very marked diminution in the number of malarial fever cases reported from the New Territory. The treatment with larvicides of the breeding places of the anopheles mosquito is still being actively continued with good results.

The sanitary condition of the City still leaves inuch to be desired, and the overcrowding in Chinese tenement houses is excessive. New legislation will ameliorate present conditions by degrees, but it is evident that real improvement can only be gradually attained. A new consolidating and amending law relating to buildings and public health was prepared with great care under the supervision and by the advice of Mr. OSBERT CHADWICK, C.M.G., and Professor SIMPSON, M.D., who, as experts in sanitation and plague respectively, were commissioned to hold investigations into the present sanitary condition of the City and to trace the causes of the continued prevalence of bubonic plague. The new Ordinance, which embo- dies most of the recommendations of Messrs. CHADWICK and SIMPSON, did not actually come into operation during 1902, though it practically passed through all its legislative stages before the end of the year.

(e).—CLIMATE.

The average monthly temperature throughout the year has been 73.4° F. as compared with 72.1° F. during 1901; the maximum monthly temperature was attained in the months of August and September when it reached 81.8° F., and the minimum monthly temperature was recorded in the month of February, being 59.5° F.

The highest recorded temperature during the year was 92.2° F. on July 27th, and the lowest 40.5 F. on February 4th.

The returns from the Hongkong Observatory show that the total rainfall for the year was 97.50 inches as compared with 55.78 inches in 1901 and an average of 77.86 inches during the past ten years. The wettest month was May with 26.73 inches, while there were also 26.5 inches of rain in the month of August; the driest month was February with only 0.02 inch. The greatest amount of rain which fell on any one day was 8.06 inches on August 2nd, while no rain fell on 223 days of the year; the relative humidity of the atmosphere throughout the year was 75.6 per cent, as compared with 75 per cent. in the pre- vious year, while during March to August it averaged continuously over 82 per The average daily amount of sunshine throughout the year was 5.3 hours, and on 51 days no sunshine was recorded.

cent.

X. POSTAL SERVICE.

All

The revenue derived from all sources of the postal service amounted to $387,066.19, an increase of $42,554.61 on that of the previous year. The sale of stamps realised $353,949.99, or $29,886.03 more than was realised in 1901. branches of the postal organisation shared in the general increase except exchange on Money Order transactions, the profits of which showel a decrease from slightly over $10,000 to $2,768.

It is hoped that before long a direct parcel post exchange with the United States of America will be established, effecting an appreciable reduction in the time now occupied in transit.

The Penny Letter postage was extended to the British postal agencies in China from 15th February. The agencies exist at Amoy, Canton, Foochow, Hankow, Hoihow, Liu Kung Tau (Weihaiwei), Ningpo, Shanghai and Swatow.