3
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
11
July 6, 1908.]
Chinese
Hongkong
..192,400
Army Pay Dept,
Popu
Kowloon
71,950
and Corps
8
8
lation
Floating Population.. 43,530
H. K. & S. Ba.
B. G. A...
11 7
7 435
460
Mercantile Marine..... 2.700
Brd Middlesex Re-
-310,580
giment
16 425
Army, (average strength)
3,920
119th Infantry
10
15 748
441 773
Navy,
肇
2,157
6,077
129th (D.0.0.) Ba-
luchis
11
14 734
759
Indian Subordin
New Territories (exclusive of Kowloon). 85,011
Total
.414,368
At the census taken in 1906 the average strength of the Navy present in the Colony was 4,698,
PUBLIC HEALTH AND SANITATION
During the year under review considerable progress has been made in rendering existing domestic buildings rat proof as a preventive of Plague, 370 ground surfaces of houses have been repaired, and 1,201 buildings have had rat-runs filled up with cement. In addition 44 basements illegally inhabited have been vacated, New buildings (domestic) to the number of 142 were erected during the year and in these the effect of the present Ordinance is seen in the increased amount of open space about the houses, which the law requires. Scavenging lanes which have to be provided in the rear of new houses also increase the open space about them and tend to reduce surface crowding,
During the year there were 198 deaths from plague, compared with 842 in 1906 and 287 in 1905.
There were 1,825 deaths from Respiratory Diseases amongst the Chinese; 655 of these deaths were due to Phthisis, a percentage of 9.6 of the total deaths amongst that community.
Beri-beri caused 562 deaths--a high figure. The deaths from Malaria were 579 as against 448 in 1906, and 287 in 1905, an increase which it is hoped will only be temporary. The average number of deaths from this disease has fallen from 526 in the quinquennium 1898 to 1902 to 383 in the quinquennium 1903-1907. Military returns of admissions to Hospital for Malaria show a marked reduction in the incidence of this disease.
POSTAL SERVICE.
The total receipts paid into the Treasury in 1907 by the Postal Department amounted to $588,375 from which sum $140,954 was trans. ferred to other heads of General Revenue under which fees and duties are paid in stamps, which are now sold exclusively by the Post Office, leaving the sum of $445,42 as Revenue of the Postal Service. The total expenditure amounted to $366,452, which being deducted from the Revenue of $445,420 leaves a profit of $78,968.
A direct exchange of Money Orders with Kisochau came into force on 1st July,
A new Parcel Post arrangement with Japan came into operation on 1st October.
The Postal Convention of Rome which was nigned on 26th May, 1906, came into operation on 1st. October, 1957; the principal changes introduced being the raising of the unit of weight of letters from oz, to 1 oz, in the case of letters posted in Hongkong and Liu Kuog Tau and from oz. (14.17325 grammes) to 20 grammes at the other agencies-and the exchange of International Reply Coupons with the principal countries included in the Postal Union.
REGULAR FORCES
The following return shows the average num ber and composition of the Forces employed in the Colony during 1907 :-
Europeans. Indians. C'nese.
ate Medical De- partment
Total 113 1,438
1
87 1,921 COLONIAL CONTRIBUTION,
5
55 3,564
The Colony contributed $1,214,34.05 (being the statutory contribution of 20 per cent, of the Revenue) towards the cost of the main tenance of the Regular Forces in the Colony including Barrack Service and Defence Works.
VOLUNTEER Corps.
The total establishment of the Corps is 443 of all ranks. The strength on the 31st Decem. ber, 1917, was 289 made up as follows:-Staff 7; two Garrison Artillery Companies, 199; one Engineer Company, 45; Troop 38,
now all
The members of the Corps are armed with the new M.L.E. short rifle and the latest pattern equipment.
* GENERAL OBSERVATIONS,
The year was characterised by continued severe depression in trade.
1
The Colony appears to have recovered from the over-speculation indulged in in antici- pation of the conclusion of the War between Russia and Japan, and her trade has resumed a healthier condition, though the volume is still restricted. The large stocks accumulated during the speculative period have taken a long time to work off, and fresh imports have been small; because for various reasons, one of which was caution induced by previous over-speculation, China has imported & smaller quanlity of merchandize.
The assessment made in July for the year 1907-1908 showed that the rateable value for the whole Colony had decreased by 2.52 per cent. In the Hill District, Shaukiwan, the Hongkong villages, and in Kowloon except in the important District of Yaumati, the assessment showed an increase ranging from 1.07 per cent. to 11.76 per cent. But in the City of Victoria a decrease of 4.42 per cent, and in Yaumati a decrease of 5.65 per cent, were shown. In New Kowloon a remarkable increase from a rateable value of $88,930 to one of $61,835 or an increase of 58.83 per cent, was shown.
In the New Territories continued progress has been observable in the making of several roads by the private enterprise of villagers, and by the erection of new houses. The Crown Rent (Land Tax) was paid with an alacrity that was almost inconvenient: and there marked decrease in crime in spite of the large was a numbers of coolies employed on the Railway Works.
The loss and inconvenience caused by the depreciation of the subsidiary currency by the over-issue of small coins by the Mint in Canton continued.
The Hongkong Government adopted the expedient of withdrawing from circulation all its subsidiary coin received as revenue, and succeeded in inducing the Authorities at Canton to temporarily suspend the coining of small Going at the Mint at Canton A Committee was The Tientsin Agency 'availed of the oppor-appointed to consider the causes of the deprecia- tunity to send direct mails to Europe overland tion of the subsidiary coinage of the Colony and vid Harbin from 17th October.
to advice what steps could be taken to re- habilitate it. As a result of the enquiry the Government addressed strong representations through the proper channels to the Chinese Authorities both at Peking and Canton urging the suspension of the coinage of small coins at the Canton Mint until the coins had again reached par. No definite reply had been received to these representations at the close of the year. The Committee appointed in 1906 to collect funds and administer relief to the sufferers by the disastrous Typhoon of 18te September, 1906, completed their labours early in the year and reported that they had collected $279,903, ali bat $11,000 of which as contributed by residents in the Colony and by firms doing business with it. Of this sum $198,002 were spent in replacing or repairing 1,601 Cargo Bate, Junks and other craft lost or damaged, while $46,668 were spent on the relief of des. titutes (including 205 women and children) and the recovery and burial;of dead. The balance of
Corps.
General Staff (OM-
oers only
Garrison Staff (W.
O., N. 0. Officers
only)
Royal Garrison
Artillery
Royal Engineers 12
Army Service
Corps Royal Army Me-
5
5
5
27 633
€60
259
55 826
4
8 43
90
dical Corps Army Ordnance
Dept, and Corps 6
28
35 88
92
***
51
11
$33,768 has been placed in the custody of the Government as a fund for relief in similar- circumstances. Thirty thousand Dollars were also contributed by the Chinese Government to the Tung Wa Hospital and have been set apart by that institution to serve as a similar fund. A further sum of $106,659 was spent during the year out of Revenue in repairs to Government Works and Buildings caused by the typhoon of 18th September, 1908. In September a very heavy rain storm caused considerable damage to the Kowloon Catchwater and to other Govern- ment Works.
The Commission which had been appointed in tration of the sanitary laws and the existence the previous year to enquire into the adminis- of corruption in the Sanitary Department issued their report in April. The Commis- sioners found existed among the subordinate Sanitary Staff, that widespread corruption and on the evidence furnished by the Com- missioners several Sanitary Inspectors were tried by the Executive Council, suspended, and dismissed. Much of the dissatisfaction with the administration of the Public Health Or- dinance was removed by the amendment of a section dealing with open space in the rear of of exemption from the provisions of the law existing housea, and by a free use of the power
relating to cubicles in Chinese tenement houses. A Committee was appointed to enquire into this latter subject and their recommendations with several suggestions made by the Com-' missioners and others are being embodied in In the result it is anticipated that thanks to the amendments of the Public Health Ordinance. angrudging labours of the Commissioners the Sanitary Department will in future be more be affected in the Sanitary Law and the method honestly served while many improvements will of its application.
|
In consequence of the high rate of exchange which reached more than 2/3 to the dollar, the Secretary of State for the Colonies, with Legislative Council, allowed the sterling the concurrence of unofficial members of the salaries of Civil Servants to be paid at the rate of 2 to the dollar when the rate of exchange is above that figure and at the rate of the day when it is below it,
T
During the year the claim for compensation on account of the lives lost in the Piracy of the 8.8. Saina m," referred to in the report of last year, was settled; and the Provincial Authori- hoped will be effective in the suppression of ties have now adopted measures which it is piracy in the Delta and on the West River.
Mr. F. Grove, Chief Resident Engineer, and Chinese Section of a considerable staff were at work on the the Hongkong-Canton completed and steps were taken for beginning Railway during the year. The Survey was construction early in the current year.
THE LOSS OF THE "POWAN ."
CAPTAIN AND SECOND MATE REPRIMANDED.
attending the loss of the s.8. "Powan," was The adjourned inquiry into the circumstances
Court, before the Hon. Commander Basil resumed on Saturday morning at the Marine
Taylor, R.N., and Lieut. Henry Butterworth, R.N., of H.M ́S. “Tamar; " Captain J Pags of the 8.8. "Ying King," Mr. S. Crowe, master of the 8.8. "Kwong Sai;" and Mr. T. A. Mitchell, master of the "Fook Bang," assessors.
ment it had occurred to him that it would be The President said that during the adjourn-
well to have the evidence of the master of the "San Cheong," and as he bad to sail again to- day; he had taken his evidence on oath yesterday. The master had been only half an hour behind thePowan.
The evidence was as follows :—I left the wharf at 9.30 p.m. on my way to Canton. The night was fairly clear, light south winds with pass- ing rain squalls. Shortly after passing Fairway buoy I saw Cheung Hue. It was then raining but not hard enough to obscure the land. We passed somewhere abo at a mile of Cheung Hüs and at that time I could not see Mawan, A passing Cheung Hue, I saw some junks on starboard side, but did not have to alt course for them. With an ebb tide we steer for the oath, point of Mawan:- On occasion when I'sighted Mayan,
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