Social_Welfare_Annual_Report_1959-1960 — Page 9

or not cannot be predicted with certainty, but it has recently provided a more stimulating climate for the development of social work.

5. But huge deficiencies still require to be made up before the people of Hong Kong can be said to have reasonable conditions of living. Over 300,000 squatters have been resettled, but some half a million more are left, together with comparable numbers living in grossly overcrowded tenement slums; and many thousands are employed precariously in casual or unskilled work, unable to support their families securely. Sheer poverty still leads to children being abandoned, to under- nourishment, juvenile delinquency and prostitution. There is still almost unlimited scope for the work of catering for the weaker members of the community and assisting them to find a place in society. In this work the Department collaborates closely with the numerous voluntary welfare agencies who do so much to meet the social needs of Hong Kong. Without their participation the task of the Department would, in some fields at least, be of unmanageable proportions. There is very close liaison between the Department and most of these voluntary organiza- tions, and many of them are assisted by annual subventions from public funds. It is satisfying to note that this spirit of co-operation does not pass unnoticed: visitors to Hong Kong are generally impressed by the marked degree to which social work here has developed as a partner- ship, in which resources are deployed from both directions in a common effort. This feature is illustrated at many points in the succeeding pages, by frequent references to voluntary welfare work. Official and voluntary co-ordination is also the special subject of the final chapter of this Report.

CHAPTER II

THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT

6. It was not until 1948 that the Government started to take a major part in social welfare work in Hong Kong: in that year the Social Welfare Office was established as a Sub-department of the Secretariat for Chinese Affairs. In January 1958, it became a fully fledged Depart- ment, entirely separated from its parent; at the same time, statutory functions and powers in such matters as the protection of juveniles and adoption were transferred from the Secretary for Chinese Affairs to the Director of Social Welfare. (For a list of Social Welfare Legislation see Appendix 1).

3