Sessional_Paper_1908 — Page 286

189

10.-Tung Wa Hospital. Ordinances No. 1 of 1870 and No. 9 of 1904.

(See Table VIII and Appendic B.)

The names of the Directors of the Tang Wa Hospital elected on the 24th November, 1907, are :

TAM HOK-PO

of the Yat On Bank.

31

King Wo Firm,

CHAN LOK-CHUN

NG HON CHỊ

CHAN TIN-SHAN

15

LI YUE-TONG

་་

WONG CHIU-TONG

17

CHU CHUNG-YTE

National Bank of China, Ltd.

Yu Tak-shing Firm.

Kwong Wing Cheung Firm.

Standard Oil Co.

San Hing Opium Firm.

CHAN CHECK-HING

**

Chin Cheung Firm.

NG SAU-SHANG

Fuk On Insurance Co.

"}

CHEUNG CHEUNG-CHI

51

SHE TAT-TSOI

11

TSE SHI-PING

HUNG TSZ-LEUNG

CHEUNG SHI-KUN

LI MAU-CHI

35

Shum Kre Firm.

Hongkong, Canton & Macao Steamboat Co.

Tung Kee Firin.

Kung Hing Firm.

Ming Fat Rice Shop.

Ki Hing Pawn Shop.

The accounts will be found in Appendix B.

The expenditure during the year was $71,796 and exceeded the revenue by $2,750. Endeavours are now being made to increase the number of regular subscribers. The expenditure was less than the expenditure in 1906 by $700. The small number of plague cases allowed of a reduction in the expenditure on the Plague Hospital and economy has been effected under the heads Food and Salaries. $3,000 have been spent on building, repairs and furniture, $13,000 on burials and coffins. The expenditure under these last two heads on bodies sent to the Government Mortuaries appears separately. The number of admis- sions to the hospital was 3,796 and of out-patients 70,843, an increase of 596 and 5,255 respectively over the numbers in 1906.

The balance at the close of the year was $15,031. In addition to the varying cash balances and the landed property of the hospital the directors have the control of several funds of which so far no record has appeared in this report. Appendix B now gives the total amount of the funds referred to under their different heads, and the way in which they are invested. The directors have decided to make larger investments in landed property, their power to do so, having been facilitate by Ordinance No. 9 of 1904, The Tung Wa Hospital (Extension of Powers) Ordinance 1904.

The charitable work of the directors is not confined to administering the hospital; they must provide for the burial of the poor, must take a leading part in all charitable movements, especially in the raising of Famine Funds, and must repatriate the destitute. The sum spent on burials in 1907 exclusive of the burials of bodies sent from the Public Mortuaries was $9,035, and 950 persons were repatriated. Their assistance was invited by the chari- table societies of Canton in April to provide cheap rice, and the directors telegraphed to the Cantonese communities in other parts of the world for help. In answer to the appeal a sum of $110,000 was subscribed; two-thirds of this was sent to Canton and the remaining third kept for local needs. Fortunately a fall in the price of rice relieved the directors from the necessity of making immediate use of the fund.

The gift of 30,000 taels by the Emperor of China towards the relief of the sufferers in the typhoon of 1906 was received too late for distribution and has been formed into an Emergency Fund for the relief of distress caused by any extraordinary calamity such as storm, fire, collision, &c.: the interest may be used for such purposes by the Committee with the approval of the members of the Corporation, the capital is not to be touched with- out the approval of the Governor (7522/06 C.S.O.).