437.
and hospital for Chinese sick and destitute, and is administered by an annually- elected body of 15 Chinese directors. Chinese as well as European methods of treatment are employed in accordance with the wishes expressed by the patients or their friends. The Hospital is managed by a Committee of Chinese gentlemen annually elected, their appointment being submitted to the Governor for confirm- ation. The financial position of the Hospital was improved during the year and its title to its investments in land was secured by Ordinance.
OTHER GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS.
The Prison, Observatory, Post Office, Educational Establishments and other Government institutions are dealt with under separate heads.
VIL INSTITUTIONS NOT SUPPORTED BY GOVERNMENT.
Among institutions recognised and encouraged but not to any considerable extent supported by Government may be mentioned the Pó Leung Kuk, the College of Medicine for Chinese, and the City Hall.
The Pó Leung Kuk is an institution, incorporated in 1893, presided over by the Registrar-General and an annually-elected Committee of 12 Chinese gentlemen, for the protection of women and children. The inmates of the Home receive daily instruction in elementary subjects and are allowed to earn pocket-money by needle-work. During 1904, a total of 676 persons were admitted. Of these, 287 were released after enquiry, 38 were released under bond, 138 were placed in charge of their husbands, parents or relations, 8 were placed in charge of the Japanese Consul, 76 were sent to charitable institutions in China, 15 were sent to School, Convent or Refuge, 11 were adopted, 29 were married and 2 died,
lu con- sequence of an epidemic of beri-beri during the summer the women's quarters were vacated and the inmates temporarily distributed between the Tung Wa Hospital and the Italian Convent.
The Hongkong College of Medicine for Chinese was founded in 1887, for the purpose of teaching surgery, medicine, and obstetrics to Chinese. The govern- inent of the College is vested in the Court, of which the Rector of the College, who has always been a Government official, is President. Eighty-seven students have been enrolled up to the end of 1904, and of these 19 have become qualified licentiates and have obtained various posts under Government and elsewhere. The institution is of great value in spreading a knowledge of Western medical science among the Chinese; and in addition to the employment of certain of the licentiates in the public service, the senior students have frequently been made use of for various purposes during epidemics. A Government grant-in-aid of $2,500 is made to the College, to be used as honoraria to the lecturers.
The City Hall receives an annual Grant of $1,200 from Government. It contains a Reference Library and Museum.
VIII-CRIMINAL AND POLICE.
The total of all cases reported to the Police was 11,812, an increase of 560 or 4-97 per cent. over those reported in 1903. In the division of these cases into serious and minor offences there is a decrease in the former as compared with the previous year from 4,862 to 3,532, that is of over 27 per cent., occurring in every nature of crime with the exception of offences against women and girls.
The number of serious offences reported was 334 below the average of the quinquennial period commencing with the year 1900.
The number of minor offences reported shows an increase of 1,890 over the number for 1903, mainly in offences against the Prepared Opium Ordinance due to a considerable rise in the price of opium and consequent surreptitious manu- facture and smuggling of the drug, and in offences against the Sanitary Bye-laws, which were more stringently enforced as the Public became better acquainted with the provisions of the Public Health and Buildings Ordinance of the previous
year.
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