150
11. For rent collection purposes "B" rent roll books have been prepared by me from the above 111 A books together with 62 A books for the Districts settled by Mr. CLEMENTI which were forwarded to me for completion. These Brent roll books are arranged according to the villages where the lessees live, and the total amount of Crown Rent due from each lessee is shown opposite his name.
Hon. F. H. MAY, C.M.G.,
Colonial Secretary.
I have, &c.,
C. Mel. MESSER.
Member, Land Court.
LAND COURT, 31st December, 1904.
SIR,I have the honour to report the completion of my work as Member of the Land Court for the New Territories, a post to which I was appointed on the 11th December, 1903.
2. On appointment my first task was to conclude the settlement of claims in Survey District IV, New Kowloon, a matter of no small difficulty owing to the existence of three discrepant surveys (those on the 16" and 32" scales and the survey of undemarcated "A" claims), under each of which judgments in respect of a number of claims had already been given by my predecessors in the Land Court. It was necessary, therefore, not only to settle the outstanding claims, but also to adjust the judgments already given. The work was further delayed by the fact that judgment in respect of 13 miles of foreshore at Ch'ong Sha Wan, in this District, was held over by Mr. GoMPERTZ until the 18th of last February.
3. On the 21st of last March the Schedules containing the Land Court judg ments for the 13 maps in Survey District IV, covering 3,197 lots, with a total area of 506.86 acres, were completed and forwarded to you. The task of making a Rent Roll and Titles' Register for the District on the basis of these Schedules has been discharged by my colleague, Mr. J. R. Woon.
4. At the end of March I left for Lantao Island with a staff of five Clerks (SUNG TENG-MAN, LAU TSE-P'ENG, MAK KAM-HUNG, LONG KWAI-HUNG, CHONG KING-YIP) and 3 Process-servers, and made my office in the former Chinese Yamen at Tai O. The island of Lantao comprises 72 Survey Districts (S. D. 301-342, 344-354, 356-364, Mui Woa I-IV, Tung Ch'ung I-VI), containing in all 37,132 lots, the total area of the holdings being 14,499.37 acres. From Tai O. I also dealt with the following islands surrounding Lantao:-Ch'ak-lap-kok (S. D. 343, number of lots 396, area of holdings 24.87 acres), Ni-ku-Chau (S. D. 355, number of lots 426, area of holdings 16.75 acres), Tai A Chau, Sai A Chau, Shong-moa-to, Ha-moa-to, Pa-tung and Siu-ch'ong-chau.
Owing to the unhealthiness of the locality it became necessary to get through the work at Tai O as quickly as possible, and as the result of the assiduity of my Clerks, I was enabled to determine all claims in Lantao and the surrounding islands and complete and forward to you my Schedule on the 29th of last April. The pre- paration of the Rent Rolls and Titles Registers for these islands has been in the hands of Mr. Woon.
5. From Lantao I went to Aplichau where, after a short rest, I made my office with my former staff in a houseboat purchased by the Government for that purpose, and proceeded to determine all claims to the islands of Lamma and Po Toi, which comprise eleven Survey Districts, containing in all 5,833 lots, the total area of the holdings being 188.60 acres. On the 30th of last May my work was completed and I forwarded to you the Schedules forming my judginents. Mr. WooD has proceeded with the preparation of a Rent Roll and Titles Register for these islands.
6. In the first week of June my houseboat was towed to Ts'un Wan, where I continued the land settlement on the mainland from Survey District IV (New Kowloon) westward to the Shamchun River. The attached key-map shows the portion of the New Territory with which I have dealt. My staff was now increased from 5 Clerks and 3 Process-servers to 17 Clerks and 4 Process-servers.