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Regulations for the maintenance of good order and the preservation of property on the ground were made on the 14th May (Government Notification 377 of 1907, Gazette of 7th June, 1907).
14.-Passage Money Fund.
(See Table XI.)
At the close of 1906 there was a balance to the credit of this Fund of $4,673. Authority was obtained to grant $1,250 to the Alice Memorial Hospital to be added to the endowment fund, and to place $3,250 on fixed deposit and pay the interest to Miss Eyre's Refuge.
15.-Registrar General's Office Charitable Fund.
(See Table XII.)
An account of this Fund is annexed for the first time to the Annual Report. The Chinese have so many claims on them at present that I have postponed indefinitely any attempt to obtain substantial additions to the Fund. It is still my design however to create a Fund for helping destitute widows and workmen injured by accidents. Casualties among the labouring classes in Hongkong are frequent and there are now six widows pensioners of the office.
16.-Legislation.
The following Ordinances passed in 1907 more particularly affect the Chinese Community:-
No. 8.-The Public Health and Buildings (Amendinent) Ordinance.
No. 12. The Local Communities Amendment. Ordinance.
V
No. 13. The Stocks Punishment Linitution Ordinance. No. 15.-The Seditious Publications Ordinance.
Two only of these Ordinances, No. 13 and No. 15, call for comment in this Report. Ordinance No. 13 was found necessary in order to regulate the imposition of a punishment which had fallen somewhat into disuse but which of late years had been awarded in a large number of cases. I refer to Ordinance No. 15, the necessity for which is described in the preamble, in order to record that the relations between the Chinese Press and this Office are of a very friendly nature and that I find the editors and managers of newspapers are always ready to render any services that are asked for.
Several Rules and Orders-in-Council relate to the Chinese. Stone, earth and turf may now be obtained from Crown Land free of charge in the New Territories if needed for personal use in building houses or farm buildings. Rules dated the 2nd April regulate the issue of Forestry Licences, and others dated the 30th May, the conversion of land into salt-pans.
17. Prosecutions.
(See Table XIII.)
A reference to Table XIII shows the extreme difficulty there is in obtaining a conviction under the Women and Girls Protection Ordinance.
Out of 47 defendants only 5 were
convicted.
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