Sessional_Paper_1907 — Page 561

187 (3)

Again a reference to Mr. Ho Koм TONG's evidence shows that in discussing the cubicle question he made the general statement that during the past 3 years rents had declined 30% on the average and that one of the principal reasons for the decline is the "harsh laws of the Ordinance".

The witness then went on to discuss limewashing and said that owing to bribery and corruption or the absence of it, for the witness contradicts himself, the cost of same has gone up 150%. When asked about open backyards the witness says he has not had to open out any. He then goes on to discuss disinfection and many other matters including concreting.

He

LI YAU-CHUN, after discussing limewashing and concreting and when asked about opening backyards went into a rambling statement regarding a block of houses of which he owned six and behind which he alleges the Government failed to cut a 50-feet road. said he was called upon to open backyards and he contended that if the Government had made the road it would have been unnecessary to provide backyards. And he added that several thousands of dollars had been lost over the property. He then went on to say that he is suffering a loss of rent of 20% per floor as compared with 1902. He suspects" that the loss is due to the Public Health and Buildings Ordinances but in answer to an egregiously leading question attributes the decline principally to loss of cubicles.

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The row of houses to which the witness referred is apparently Nos. 2-44 Temple Enclosure 2. Street South and I attach a statement of the rateable value in 1902 and 1905-1906. The figures speak for themselves.

The Commissioners quote Mr. TURNER'S evidence in support of the contention that the effect of some sections of the Ordinance has been to depreciate Chinese property 30 to 35 per centum.

I do not find a word of evidence on the point in Mr. TURNER's answers.

Mr. OSBORNE gave evidence to the effect that "houses built (by the Wharf & Godown Co.) before the passing of the Ordinance to pay a certain rental which would yield say 8% on the capital invested don't command anything like that rental now". I do not understand this statement in the face of the rateable value of property shewn in Enclosure 3.

Dismissing the evidence and proceeding to a general consideration, the annual assessments, which are based be it remembered on returns of actual rentals returned by landlords or their lessecs do not bear out the Commissioners' contention.

Enclosy 3.

To test their conclusions on the point I have had a list prepared of 100 Chinese houses of the ordinary tenement type taken at random and situated in approximately equal pro- Enclosure 4. portions in the Western, Central and Eastern Districts of the City of Victoria. Against each has been noted the date upon which it was provided with a backyard in compliance with the law that has been in force since 1899, together with the rateable value at which it has been assessed in each year since 1899 by the Government Assessor on returns of the actual rentals received in respect of the houses.

A glance at the return will show that in no single instance has a reduction in rateable value followed on the provision of backyards.

4-Puragraph 30.-It is alleged that the tendency of Chinese to send away their families is becoming more and more marked.

But the Census returns for 1906 show an actual increase in the proportion of females to males in the Chinese population as compared with the Census of 1901 as the following extract from the Census report shows:-

"The total Chinese land population of the Colony (excluding the New Territories North of the Kowloon Hills and for the moment, New Kowloon) is 244,300 as compared with 233,263 in 1901 and 200,005 in 1897. The number of males above the age of 15 years is 156,975 and of females 49,592. These figures show a decrease since 1901, of 780 adult males and an increase of 6,855 adult females. The number of Chinese children under the age of 15 years is 37,733 as compared which 32,771 in 1901. The number of families in the City of Victoria is returned as 25,974 as compared with 25,123 in 1901. These figures may be regarded as satisfactory evidence that family life among the Chinese continues to increase, taking the Colony as a whole. The decrease in population in the City of Victoria consists almost entirely of adult males, while the number of the women and children has increased. In Old Kowloon where the population shows a very large increase, there are 32,209 adult males, 10,844 adult females, with 9,278 children under the age of 15 years. The