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the initial cost of the mill being higher than originally estimated. However, the capital was written down largely, and fresh capital brought io, with the effect that the pr. sent condition of the Company is very satisfactory, and the future outlook promising. Improved dwellings for their operatives are shortly to be erected, and the system of piece work has been successfully introduced.
The sugar industry has been bampered by the large importations of Continental bounty fd sugar into Japan and other markets which used to draw their supplies from here.
The shipping industry during 1931 was prosperous throughout the year. Overspecula tion in shares Toth here and in Shanghai has in many
cases adversely affected the value of shares in several of the local under- takings, but I think that this is merely a temporary condition and that things will come to their normal level before 1 ng, If the heavy fall in silver becomes permanent, it must eventually stimulate local productions, particularly in the repairing and docking of ships, as this work can be excellently done by Chines under European supervision. The local Dock Company is a large and will equiped institution and the docking facilities of the Colony will, in the course of the next few years, be largely augmented by the Admiralty Dock and by cousiderable works of the same sort at pre- sent u der construction by Messrs. Butterfield & Swire at Quarry Bay. The Hongkong Dock Co. are at present building a large river steamer for the Canton route, and if the result is satisfactory a considerable development in ship-building may show itself, especially silver remains low.
The lal our question-the crux of the indus trial problem høre-gives serious food for thought, and it is to be hoped that the extension of the boundaries of the Colony may make it possible to provide cheaper and healthier house accommodation for the labouring classes, so that the two chief elements of industrial prosperity -cheap labour and cheap money-may be successfully united. At present, high rents and some nusten iudaence-probably Chiness guilds-militate against full advantage being taken of the abundant supply of labour in the adjoining provinces.
FISERIES.
There are to fisheries of importance. The loc. I demand for salt and fresh fish is met by fleets of fishing junks aud a large number of net stations, and the fish that are required for salting are dried and salted on the beach. 'There is a very la ge local demand for fish from the Canton River, which are brought down alive in tanks in the daily passenger steamers.
FORESTRY, 10TANICAL SCIENCE, AND
AGRICULTURY.
[October 11, 1902.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
level ground, contains almost the same amount $18, and the total fees received by Government of coltivated land. This, however, tends to amount to over $28,000. There is a large staff diminish as buildings extend. The only part of English and Chinese masters, who provide of the Colony where agricultural in.ustries the pupils with an education which not only can be expected to thrive is the New Territory, enables many of them to compete successfully which, though intersected by extensive 1anges in the Oxford local examinations but also fits of barren hills, contains valleys where rice aud them for important pots as interpreters and sugar and other crops are grown with success. | clerks in the Government service and in mer- The acreage of cultivated land in the New Tercantile honses. There is a growing feeling ritory (including the islands) is not far short of amongst both British and Chinese residents that 100,00€, but much of this contains exceedingly the system of educati⚫g European and native poor soil and consists of minute holdings belong children side by side in the same schools is not ing to the poorest class of peasants. The without its serious drawbacks. The subject has Government has taken steps to introduce some been fully dealt with in a Petition forwarded to better qualities of sugar-cane into the New you in Sep'ember last, and the outcome will pro- Teritory. Some attempts have been made to bably be the establishment of one or more good grow the mulberry, but without suce ss. schools for European boys and girls and similar schools for the children of the better class Chinese.
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LAND GRANTS AND GENERAL VALUE OF LAND.
The available amount of building land in Hongkong, except in the New Territory, is so limited that it has for many years commanded a very high price, and land premia and Crown rents form a considerable rtion of the Colonial revenue. Land in privule hinds has proved to be a most lucrative source of wealth to its owners, while at the same time its scarcity and high value have tended to raise honse-rents to such an extent us to seriously embarrass large numbers of Chinese and Euro pean t nauts. Very extensive reclamation works hare been and are still being successfully carried out, and large areas of level building ground have thereby been created. It is hoped that before long a practical commencement will be made. of a new reclamation which will ex'end from the Naval Dockyard in the centre of the town to Causeway Bay in the East. The sales of Crown land in 1901 were, as has been already stated, much less than those in 1900.
LEGISLATION,
Thirty-seven Ordinances were passed during 1901, of which fifteen were amendments of Ordinances already in force, and two were private Ordinances for the naturalisation of Chinese. From the Imperial point of view perhaps one of the most important measures of the year was the first Ordinance, which raised the annual Military Contribution of the Colony from 17 per cent. to 20 per cent. of the total gross revenue, exclusive of land sales and premia on leases or statutory, and grants. Ordinance 5 is perhaps the most im. portant measure of the year. It is an Ordinance to establish a Code of Procedure for the Regulation of the Process, Practice, and Mode of Pleading in the Civil Juri-diction of the Supreme Court of the Colony." The Supreme Court was established by legislative enactment in 1845 and all its proceedings were regulated by the practice of the English Courts unless and until otherwise ordered by rule of the said Court." Successive attempts at impro- ving the Civil Procedure of the Court were made in 1855, 1856. 1858, 1860 and 1871, and led to the enactment of what is known as the Old Code of Civil Procedure, in 1873, which abolished the old distinction between common law and equity, and established a uniform procedure for the administration of both. Alterations were from time to time carried out during many subsequent years, and the new Code, which was drafted last year by Sir John Carrington C.M.G., and enacted as Ordinance No. 5 of 1901, contains the final results. up to the present time, of all the changes and improvements which experience bad found necessary. Ordinance No. 13 of 1901 - a Consolidating and Amending Public Health Ordinance-was an important measure which will probably, however, be partially superseded by new leg slation during
The Fores'ry and Botanical Department is under the charge of a Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent, aided by a large staff of gardens and foresters. Perhaps the most important work carried on by this Department is the planting of trees. Camphors have been planted as an experiment in the New Territory, but it is feared that they cannot be grown there so as to gire au adequate retu n on the capital invested. The experiment was not successful, but will be repeated. Rubbers were also tried, but the climate is not suitable to this Central American and Malayan tree and most of the plants died in the cold season. Much interesting botanical work is yearly carried ou in Hongkong. Mr. Ford, the Superintendent, has shown that the total number of plants, exclusive of mosses, lichens, sea-weeds and fungi, indigenous to Hongkong, | 1902. is 1,897, probably more than are indigenous to the whole of the British Isles. Plants and seeds are regularly interchanged with other botanical institutions, and the number of plants which are successfully introduced into the Colony by his means is constantly increasing. It is hoped that before long an experimental Economic Garden wil be established in the New Territory for the purpose of introducing aud distributing amongst the natives new plants of economic value. The billy character of the Island and its comparative absence of fertilising soil bas prevented agriculture from becoming an active source of industry in Hongkong. The acreage of cultivated land in the island is a little over 400 acres only. The old dependency of British Kowloon, which is chiefly composed of
EDUCATION.
PUBLIC WORKS,
The total expenditure on Public Works during the y ar was $687,325.70. The principal work initiated was a greatly enlarged scheme for the construction of Water-works to supply the Kowloon Peninsula with water by gravita tion, the estimated cost of the work being 3835,00. The reservoir to be constructed is situated in the New Territory, in connection with the development of which several works the road to Taipo. 16 miles in length. Work were in progress, principal among them being was begun on an additional reservoir at Tylam for increasing the supply of water to the City of Victoria. A number of buildings were in progress, including the New Law Courts. Harbour Office, Western Market, and Gover- nor's Peak Residence. A large Reclamation Scheme in front of the eastern section of the City, estimated to c st $5,000,000, was under consideration, and arrangements for the construction of an electric tramway, 9 miles in length, were nearly brought to a conclusion.
GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS.
Hospitals.
Government Hospitals consist of the Civil Hospital, to which is attached an isolated Lying- in Hospital; Kennedy Town Infections Diseases Hospital, and the Hospital hulk Hygeia. The Civil Hospital contains 124 beds in 18 wards; the Lying-in Hospital i beds for Europeana and 4 for Asiatics; and Kennedy Town Hospital 78 beds. In 1901, 267 cases were treated at. Kennedy Town, of which 204 were cases of plague, 52 of small-pox, and 15 of cholera 2.918 in-pa ients and 12,653 out-patients were treated at the Government. Civil Hospital in 1901, showing a slight decrease in the figures for 1900, Malarial fever alon was responsible for over 890 admissions The Tung Wa Hospital, supported by voluntary subscriptions among the Chinese and only to a small extent endowed by the Government, takes the place of a House and Hospital for the Chinese sick and Chinese as well as European met- hods of treatment are employed in accordanco with the wishes expressed by the patients or those who are responsible for them
destitute.
Asylum.
Poor
The Lunatic Asylum is under the direction of the Principal Civil Medical Officer. European and Chinese patients are separated, the European portion of the Asy um containing 9 beds in 8 separate wards, and the Chines portion containing 16 b ds. Ninety patients of all races were treated during 1901, and there were 7 deaths.
The Chinese College of Medicine. This institution was founded in 1887, largely through the efforts of Dr. Patrick Manson, Dr. Cantlie and others for the purpose of teaching surgery, medicine and midwifery to Chinese, The Government of the College is vested in the Cou t, of which the Rector of the College, who has always been 1 Government official, is President. 57 students had been enrolled up to 191, and of these 12 have become qualified licentiates, who have obtained various posts under Government and elsewhere. The in- stitution is of great value in spreading a know- ledge of Western me ical sciu e amongst the Chinese.
The system and methods of (ducation in the Colony are fully described in the Report for 1899, since which time there have been few changes. The whole system of education is at present under consideration, and may shortly undergo considerable modifications as the outcome of the deliberations of a special Committee appointed towards the close of the year. A description of any changes which may ke plauce should find a place in the next Report. The principal school în the Co'ony is
Po Leung Kuk. Queen's College, an institution which forms a This is a Society, under the supervision of distinct Government Department. The total Government, for the protection of women and number of pupils on the roll (European, Chinese children. It has done much good work in con- and other Asiatics) is nearly 1,500. The aver-nection with the suppression of brothel slavery, age annual expenses of each boy are less than which was in Hongkong and still is in China,
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