[ 2 ]
Exemptions from the Moratorium.
9. The provisions of the Moratorium, which prohibited dealing in land, were confined, after a short experimental period, to cases where land had been dealt with during the occupation, but these cases were considerable. It is estimated that there were some 5,000 transactions during those years. Power was delegated to the Land Officer to exempt from the prohibition of the Moratorium all cases where confirmatory assignments were presented by the parties, and to permit certain other transactions which did not offend a sense of justice or the provisions of the law. 503 such applications were investigated and decided upon as against 770 in the year before but it will be seen that there are many yet to be made. A total of 1,316 lots have been dealt with since the re-occupation and details relating to the three relevant periods are given in Table IX.
10. The second part of Table IX also shows exemptions which have been granted by His Excellency to permit mortgagees in particular circumstances to exercise their power of sale to liquidate pre-occupation mortgages.
11.
Fees.
The total of fees collected (exclusive of the New Terri- tories) amounted to $122,544.50 as against $90,984.30 in 1946-47. Fees paid on the registration of deeds were the highest figure that has ever been recorded but the total revenue reflected the absence of any considerable fees for the issue of Crown Leases.
12. A monthly analysis is shown at Table V and Table VI gives the total fees collected during the last ten years for which figures are available.
13. Land Registration Fees in the New Territories were $37,308.90 as against $14,799 in the previous year and $11,470.90 for 1939 which represents a very considerable increase in activity. Crown Lease Fees were nil.
14. Surrenders of 15 lots for public purposes were prepared and registered in the Land Office as compared with two in the previous
year.
Stamp Duties.
15. Stamp Duties paid on registered documents (exclusive of Probates and Letters of Administration) amounted to $9,644,078.21 as against $1,687,226.81 in the previous year and $270,000 in 1939. It was the first full year in respect of which the excess stamp duty payable under the Stamp (Amendment) Ordinance, 1946 (since repealed and replaced) was applicable. The monthly figures can be seen in the last column of Table III.