Sessional_Paper_1908 — Page 284

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286 permits were issued to fire crackers on the occasion of Chinese marriages, as against 225 in 1906.

Births and Deaths. Ordinance No 7 of 1896.

(Tables VI a to VI e).

For full particulars regarding these, reference should be made to the Annual Report of the Medical Officer of Health.

The Births registered during the year were as follows :-

Chinese, Non-Chinese,

Males.

Females.

Total.

736

388

1.124*

161

135

296†

897

523

1.420

* Including 3 males registered after the expiration of 12 months.

+

1 female

19

"

Four hundred and eighty-two (42) births were registered during the year in the West Point and East Point registration offices in Victoria, an increase of 66 on the number registered in 1906. The total number also of Chinese births registered in Victoria shews a satisfactory increase. The figures for the last ten years are :-

Number of Births registered.

Year.

1898.

1899,

1900.

1901,

1902,

1903,

1904..

1905.

1906,

1907,

.778

..684

544

..663

.788

..550

.622*

.605

..644

.775

*The two district registries were opened on 1st July, 1904.

Table VI c has been specially compiled for this report in the hope that it may lead to the forming of a more reliable estimate than the present methods afford of the actual number of births among the Chinese.

The number of deaths registered during year was :—

Chinese, Non-Chinese,

..6,999

287

Total,

7,286

Exhumations.

Two hundred and ninety-nine (299) permits were issued to exhume human remains for removal to China or for reburial in the Colony.

Removal of Bodies from the Colony.

Four hundred and forty-one (441) certificates were issued by the Police for removal of bodies from the Colony.