Sessional_Paper_1939 — Page 143

Sessional Papers 議政定例兩局文件 All

"*

139

145. It is a generally accepted principle that "rent should not exceed one fifth of the family income. I have consulted the Assessor in the matter who has been so good as to inform me that, in his opinion, the average rent paid to-day by the labouring class in Hong Kong for a bedspace is from $2.50 to $3.00 per month and for a cubicle from $5.00 to $6.00 per month in Chinese tenement houses. Water is generally included and, sometimes, electric light. It will be seen therefore that in the case of a family frequently more than a third of the income is expended on housing and that accommodation for a single man, who contents himself with a bedspace, costs not less than $2.50 per month, and for a man and a wife about $6.00. This is a large proportion of a small income as it must be remembered that the lower the income the greater the proportion that must be expended on food. Certain surveys conducted in China show as much as 75 per cent (in the case of ricksha coolies).†

146. Food consists mainly of rice. The following Chinese diets are quoted from the 1936 Blue Book :

Diet for Chinese Prisoners, men and women, with hard labour.§

Sunday. Monday. Tuesday. Wednesday. Thursday. Friday. Saturday.

Breakfast:-

Rice (Red) Rice (White)

Fresh

Vegetables

Salt Vegetables.

Chutney

12 oz.

12 oz.

12 oz.

12 oz.

12 oz.

12 oz.

1

12 oz.

CD

14

14

****

Oil

1

Salt

Tea

1

Salt Fish

*

1 │

Co

1

3

2)

31

4 J

1

""

нрав правил

1

53

15

1

***

CO

1

1

1

J

120

Ple

J

+

"

Midday Meal

Congee

1 Pint.

Sunday. Monday. Tuesday. Wednesday. Thursday.

Friday. Saturday.

Supper:-

Rice (Red)

12 oz.

12 oz.

12 oz.

12 oz.

12 oz..

12 oz.

12 oz.

Rice (White)

Fresh

I

10

14

8

11-

71

Vegetables

Chutney

Oil

Salt

расставь нако

1

1

J

1

14

**

19

10

2

-

JJ

H

19

11

Tea

"

1

*H

Fresh Fish

3

1

Fresh Beef

100

5

нака

-

1

3

*

A

+ CD

3

11

N

H

сл

5

KO

1

*

*H

100

1

1

लीना GB

3

17

Report of the Housing Commission, 1935, Appendix II.

+ Ricksha coolies in Hong Kong have four meals a day.

Those taken during working hours are small.

The average cost of rations for a Chinese prisoner is at present approximately $4.35 a month.

Comments

Approved members can add comments, bookmarks, and private notes.

No comments yet.

Private Research Note

Private notes are available after approval.