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Arrangements have been made with the Protector of Chinese at Singapore for the issue of certificates to respectable Chinese who propose to travel with their family. I do not know that anything further can be done at present in the way of facilitating female emigration. Unhampered emigration but emigration freed from the abuses that common report still connects with it is of the greatest importance to this Colony and to the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States, and the prok

blem this Government has to solve is how to prevent and detect fraud and in- timidation, without discouraging female emigration.

The problem of how to protect male emigrants without unduly hampering emigra- tion is equally hard to solve That abuses do exist is notorious, and an examination of the 327 emigrants by the . S Capri" on the 15th October proved that there was ample justification for common report. Acting on special instructions, the Assistant Harbour Master and I visited the steamer after the emigrants had embarked, and detained 26 men who we suspected had not been present at the examination in the Harbour Master's Office and were being taken abroad by fraud or misrepresentation. Our suspicions were proved correct in the case of 13, several of them young lads. Unfortunately no charge could be laid against any one. The Emigration-house Bye-laws are under revision and several much needed alterations will be made.

During the year 1904, 50 hotels and 32 emigration-houses (for men only) were licensed.

At the end of the year there were were 48 hotels and 14 emigration- houses holding licences, as against 50 hotels and 16 emigration-houses at the close of 1903. The total number of emigrants passed by the Enigration Officer and by the Registrar General during the year was 76,304. The 50 hotels afford accommodation for 3,267 persons and employ 1,011 servants, so that the number of guests that can be accommodated at one time is 2,256. It is not only intending emigrants who are accommodated in these hotels but people returning to China, besides numbers of temporary visitors to Hongkong. The 14 emigration-houses can legally accommo- date 264 persons but as they employ 89 servants the number of emigrants in them at any one time cannot exceed 175 The largest house can accommodate 41 emigrants, but there is one which can only accommodate 3, three 4, and two 6. These houses are obviously only emigration offices. The Protector of Chinese at Singapore mentions in his Annual Report for 1903 that 12,177 unpaid passengers arrived from Hongkong during the year. All of these should have passed through the 14 licensed emigration houses and have spent 48 hours there. It is unfortunate that so far, it has been found impossible to appoint an Inspector to ensure the enforcement of the law. The revenue derived from these licences was $2,820.

4.

CHINESE POSTAL HONGS AND CHINESE POSTMEN.

(Government Notifications 273 and 274 of 1902.)

The number of l'ostal Hongs licensed during the year was 36, and of letter- carriers, 137 as against 42 and 99 respectively in 1903.

5. CRETIFICATES OF IDENTITY TO CHINESE ENTERING THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, &C. The number of certificates issued during the years 1903 and 1904 was:-

6.

To the United States,

To the Hawaiian Islands,

To the Philippines,

POPULATION.

1903.

1904.

19

8

0

-2

119

22

The following is an estimate of the population of the Colony, inclusive of New Kowloon but exclusive of the rest of the New Territo y, on the 30th June, 1904 :-

British and Foreign Community.

18,900

Chinese. 342,306

Total. 361,206

The population of New Kowloon according to the Census taken in 1901 was 17,243, of the rest of the New Territory 85,011.