Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/238

 116

THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — HONG KONG

of the New Territories. Of the resident white population nearly one-half is British and one-third is Portuguese. A considerable proportion of the military strength consists of Indian troops.

The registered births and deaths for five years were as follows: —

Year

Births

Deaths

7,286

Births per 1,000 1

Deaths per 1,000 1

1907.

1,420

4-31

22-12

1908.

1,412

9,271

4-17

27-55

1909.

1,412

7,267

4-4

21-13

1910.

1,533

7,639

4-3

21-76

1911.

1,768

7,748

4-7

20-74

1 Birtli and death rates are cnlculated only on the i)opulation of Hong Kong and KowJoon, there being no jurisdiction by the sanitary authorities over the New Territories (except New Kowloon).

In 1907 the number of Chinese emigrants was 105,967, and the number of immigrants 145,822; in 1908, 71,081 and 157,809; in 1909, 77,430 and 144";821; in 1910, 111,058 and 149,564; and in 1911, 135,565 and 149,894 respectively.

Instruction.

The Government schools of the Colony (mostly with English teachcjs) include Queen's College, average attendance 667 boys, mostly Chinese; the Kowloon and Victoria schools, for children of both sexes of British parentage, average attendance 46 and 30 respectively; the Belilios Girls' School, English side (mixed), average attendance 223; three Anglo-Chinese District Schools, average attendance 728. There is also a Vernacular Girls' School, with an average attendance of 204. There are 53 schools (mainly denominational) which receive grants from Government and are subject to Government inspection, average attendance 4,183 in 1911. The total expen- diture on the above schools in 1911 was 209,170 dollars.

There is a police school with about 470 pujnls, and about 307 unaided schools with about 9,813 pupils.

There is a College of Medicine for Chinese which does good work without Government support. A Technical Institute maintained by the local Government, was started in 1906; number of pupils in 1911, 310.

The Hong Kong University was formally opened in March, 1912, and the first session commenced in the followed September. On December 31, 1911, the endowment fund amounted to 40,098Z.

Justice and Crime.

There are Courts of Justice consisting of a Supreme Court, the second court or Court of Summary Jurisdiction, and a third court or Appeal Court, a police magistrate's court, and a marine magistrate's court. In 1911 1,256 were committed to Victoria gaol for criminal oflences; in 1910, 1,212. The daily average of prisoners in gaol was 595 in 1911, and 547 in 1910. There is a police force in the colony numbering 1,080 men, of whom 134 are European, 399 Indians, and 547 Chinese.

Finance.

The public revenue and expenditure of the colony were as follows in five years. The dollar of Hong Kong is of variable value; for 1908 and 1909 it is here taken at Is. 8|d, for 1910, at Is. 9^^, and for 1911 at Is. 9^d.:—