Sessional_Paper_1911 — Page 113

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number who finally remained in this Colony vary from 20,000 to 60,000, and the former number is generally accepted as being the more probable one. Figures were very court- eously supplied to me by the Commissioner of Customs showing the daily and monthly number of Chinese arriving here from Canton by steamer, and the departures from this Co- lony to Canton during the same period, viz., the first six months of the present year.

What would have been expected in the circumstances was that there would be an abnormal rise in the number of arrivals from Canton and a great reduction in the number of departures from here. Although there was a great increase in the arrivals in April, this was counter- balanced by an even larger increase in the departures. In May the arrivals exceeded the departures by about 20,000. It happens that it is in the months of April and May that time-expired emigrants return to China in large numbers from the Straits Settlements, etc. It is therefore possible that they may help to account for the large number of departures. On the whole it is difficult to prove anything by the figures.

In noticing the increase in the present year, it must not be forgotten that there was a decrease in 1906, although in every other part of the Colony the numbers had gone up. Chinese continue to occupy houses in what were once exclusively European and Portuguese neighbourhoods, and are willing to pay high rentals for them. There are now 66,365 Chinese females in Victoria as compared with 45,660 in 1901 and 48,294 in 1906.

25. Taking the various Health Districts in the City, No. 1, the most Eastern one, shows no great change since 1906, but an increase of 1,407 over 1901. In 1901 and 1906 a large number of men were employed on the Naval Yard Extension. When the present Census was taken the yard was completed and in working order. The labourers during the con- struction stage largely outnumbered the present Chinese staff. No. 2 District dropped from 23,358 in 1901 to 20,024 in 1906. It has now risen to 25,629. The population of No. 5 District, which is in the heart of the City, is now 25,677 as compared with 22,618 in 1901 and only 17,593 in 1906. No. 9 District, which is one of the most thickly inhabited ones, contains 31.897 persons, the numbers in 1901 and 1906 being approximately the same, i.e., about 24,600. No. 10 District has risen from 11,032 in 1901 and 13,778 in 1906 to 17,473 in the present year. Nearly all the large Chinese Restaurants, etc., which used to be in the centre of the town, have now moved down to the extreme West.

The number of Chinese in No. 3 Health District, which may be considered a Non- Chinese quarter, shows a slight decrease since 1906, the figures being 8,903 and 8,980 respectively. The number in 1901 was only 5,434.

26. The Non-Chinese population of Old Kowloon is 2,137 as compared with 895 in 1901, and 2,269 in 1906. There was a very large rise from 1901 to 1906, but since then the numbers have remained more or less stationary.

The number of British and Europeans (exclusive of Portuguese) in Old Kowloon has slightly increased since 1906. Between 1901 an 1906 there was an increase of about 83%. The reductions in the staff of the Dock Company probably account for the increase not being greater. In Tsim Tsa Tsui several new blocks of buildings have sprung up since 1906, and are nearly all occupied.

The Portuguese in Old Kowloon number 490, which is an increase of 20 over 1906. Between 1901 and 1906 there was an increase of 273%.

There is an important decrease in the number of Indians since 1906. In 1901 the numbers were 211, in 1906 580, and in the present year 377. The rest of the Non- Chinese community in Old Kowloon numbers 208 as compared with 16 in 1901 and 221 in 1906.

27. There is an increase since 1906, though not a large one, in the Chinese population of Old Kowloon. The present numbers are 53,873 as against 42,976 in 1901 and 52,331 in 1906.

The only District in which there is a decrease is Hunghom, and this was anticipated, as the Dock Company employs fewer men than formerly.

In 1906 there was a large number of coolies employed on the Railway throughout Kowloon but work had practically ceased when the present Census was taken. The phenomenal rate at which the population of Kowloon rose between the years 1891 and 1906 could not be expected to be maintained indefinitely. In 1891 the numbers were just under 20,000. By 1901 they had risen to 42,976, and in 1906 reached 52,331. The increase in the present year is a very fair one, taking into consideration the general progress