168
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
[August 26, 1901.
bo considered necessary for the completion of now 5 vaccinators with a good supply of administration has not been large, though the the cadastral survey.
BOTANICAL AND AFFORESTATION
DEPARTMENT.
Tree-planting was commenced around the Police Stations, at Ping Shán, Au Tau, Táipó, and on both sides of the road from Sham Sham- pó to Sha Tin, 81,154 trees have been planted. The quantity of land under sugar cultivation in the New Territory is estimated at over 7,000
acres.
At the suggestion of Mr. Tutcher it is in- tended to establish Experiment 1 Gardens on some of the agricultural land in the New Territory, Mr. Tutcher is of opinion that there are many kinds of fruit which could be grown, and that the experiment if successful would improve the varieties already in the market and also supply new kinds. He men- tions Agave sisalina as a plant likely to succeed, and states that though isal hemp is not of such good fibre as Manila hemp, it will probably repay cultivation.
Great difficulty has been experienced in the attempt to proveut tree-cutting, but before effective measures can be taken to stop the practice, the Land Court will have to decide the validity of the various leases under which it is alleged that the Chinese Government granted the owners power to cut down trees growing on their property. If such rights are established it may be necessary for the Government to purchase them in cases where the trees are of importance to the health of the New Territory.
PUBLIC WORKS.
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HARBOUR OFFICE.
vaccine lymph in the New Territory, and it is expenditure on account of the police-has been hoped that the inhabitants may gradually be high, as it has been necessary to maintain a induced to abandon the practice of direct strong force of police in the interests of the inoculation now prevalent and submit to be peace and good order not only of the New vaccinated in the manner in vogue in civilisod | Territory but also of the colony generally. It countries.
is hoped that before long it may be found possible to reduce the present large police ex- A station at Taipo in Mirs Eay was opened penditure. Though the New Territory does during January, 1907. From the 1st January not pay its way at the present time, it seems to the 31st of December last, 6.140 licences, not at all improbable that it will do so in the clearances, permits, etc., had been issued to near future. Any one who may feel inclined junks at Ch'oung Chau, 3,676 at Tai O, and to take a pessimistic view of its prospects should 4,764 at Taipo. The figures for last year at bear in mind the fact that when Hongkong Ch'eung Chau were 2,616 and at Tai O 1,353, itself, which has become so prosperous, first so there has been a satisfactory increase at both came under British rule, there were not a few these stations,
people who prophesied that the colony would provo a failure, and as a matter of fact it' had to receive assistance from the Imperial Ex- chequer for some years.
POLICE.
The strength of the Police Force in the New Territory up to the 25 of June last was as follows:-27 European, 105 Indians, 30 Chinese and 10 interpreters, but on the date mentioned the stations on the frontier and at Taipo were strengthened by a total force of 4 Europeans, 40 Indians and 4 Chinese, owing to a rising in the neighbouring Chinese territory. No at- tempt was, however, made to disturb the peace in the New Territory. Nine Europeans and 51 Chinese were employed during the year in the three launches which are used to patrol the waters of the New Territory.
Four piracies were committed in the waters of the New Territory upon steam-launches owned and licensed in Hongkong, and the frequency of these cases has led to special legis lation with a view to compel owners of launches plying outside the harbour to take proper pre cautious against such attacks, which are iavari ably committed by persons who embark under the guise of passengers.
The main road in course of construction between Kowloon and Túipó, which when com- pleted will be about 16 miles in length. has now reached a point 11 miles distant from Kowloon. From this point on to Taipó there is a passable foot-path. The plans for the last 5 miles are being completed in the Public Works Depart-every precaution. ment, and it is hoped the road will be finished this year. It is intended ultimately to extend this road beyond Taipó to the frontier.
The road to Kowloon City, If miles in length, was completed early in 1900, as was also the cross-road leading from Tái Shek Ku to Yaumati. Both these roads have proved of great value as main arteries for traffic.
Telephone communication was extended to the temporary Police Station at San Tin, and also to Shat'aukok, so that the telephone com- munication between the various Police Stations in the New Territory and with Victoria is now complete.
Permanent Police Stations have been com. pleted and occupied at Au Tau, at Ping Shau and at Sha'aukok near Starling Inlet, while a station at Saikung on Shelter Bay is in course of construction.
An iron and concrete bridge of two spans of 15 feet each has been built to the Saikong Road just beyond Kowloon City, and the attention of the Public Works De artment has also been engaged by the renewal of the Kowloon City Pier and the construction of a causeway to con. nect the hill on which the temporary official quarters at Taipo now stand with an island close up to deep water.
T
EDUCATION.
The Police in the New Territory again suffered severely from malarial fever in spite of
CHIER.
The most notable feature is the increase in cases during the year. In 1899 the total number of cases for the New Territory was 155 with an aggregate of 271 accused persons. Of those cases only 23 were dealt with in the New Territory itself. In 1900 the total number of cases had increased to 586 involving 82 accused persons.
Of these no fewer than 283 cases involving 393 accused persons were tried in the New Territory, while 303 cases com prising 409 accused persons were tried in Victoria. The increase is dus partly to the inero complete development of the police organisation, and partly to the greater readiness with which the inhabitants seek the protection of the police by laying complaints before them. By far the largest item in the list of offences is that of unlawful possession of opium, with which altogether 222 persons were charged.
REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE.
exclusive of the sams expended on the Police The total expenditure for 1900 was 8243,361.66, Establishment. Of this amount a sum of steam-launches, and a sum of $13,200 on the $58,196 25 was spent on the construction of charter of launches required whilst the new launches were being built. A sum of 8'5,880 was also expended on Maxim guns with which it was deemed advisable to equip the Police Stations. Public Works in the New Territory, including the cost of the survey were respon sible for an expenditure of $143.436.33. The
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CONFISCATION OF PRESCRIP- TIVE RIGHTS IN THE NEW TERRITORY.
We have received from the Hon. T. H. Whitehead, with a request for publication, the following copy of a letter addressed by him to the Hon. H. E. Pollock, K.C., Acting Attorney. General:-
Hongkong, 22nd August, 1201. DEAR POLLOCK,-In reply to your note asking for my suggestions re the proposed Foreshores and Seabed Ordinance, please allow me to point out the Supreme Court decided last year that a Crown Lease could not then operate so as to deprive/certain fishermen of their "prescriptive rights to take coral and shells from the sea, refer to case in re Lantao Marine Lot No. 2, and the Court gave judg ment against the Government. If enacted, the Ordinance will enable the Government to do what the Supreme Court has decided the Government cannot now do legally, and thé Government will not longer in respect of such Crown Leases be subject to the judgment of the Supreme Court. In other words this Or- dinance, if it becomes law, will give the Govern- ment the power to dispossess proprietary rights and to confiscate prescriptive rights" in direct violation of the Kowloon Extension Agreement of 9th June, 1898, by virtue of which the Imperial Government of China leased to the Goverment of Great Britain for 99 years certain territory on the Kowloon Peninga's.
The soventh clause of the said Agreement stipulates: " It is further understood that there will be no expropriation or expulsion of the inhabitants.
and that if land is required
it shall be bought at a fair price." Expropriation means the dispossessing of pro- prietary rights. This being so, I am distinctly opposed to the proposed Ordinance, which, if enacted, will confer power in the Colonial Government to disposees proprietary` an ! *prescriptive rights" in violation of the ex- pressed provisions of the said Kowloon Ex- tension Agreement.
In consequence of the existence of "prescrip tive rights" in respect of the quarrying of stone in the Colony, I understand that hitherto the Government's power has been limited to letting the said Stone Quarries by public tender to the highest bidder — the lessee being allowed to make his own arrangement with the owners of the said "prescriptive rights." Thi fact that "prescriptive righta" exist in re the taking of coral and shells from the sea, Was The revenus collected amounted only to demonstrated by the Supreme Court's decision $17.530.75. This sum is certainly small when of last year, regarding Lantao Marine Lot No. compared with the expenditure, but the difficul-2, and so far the Government does not appear ties in connection with the land settlement, to to have appealed against the said decision. which reference has been made in this and pro- vious reports, have hitherto rendered it impos- sible to make a satisfactory collection of Crown rents. The work of the survey and of the land court are progressing satisfactorily, though the rate of progress has necessarily been somewhat slow. When the survey is completed and rent- rolls have been compiled in accordance with it, Lolders of land will have no means of evading the payment of Crown rent for their holdings, which will yield a good yearly revenue. It must be remembered that most of the money already expended on account of the New Ter- ritory has been devoted to works of permanent nature which cannot fail to add to its development. The cost of the civil
Little bas so far been done in the way of Education in the New Territory. It has, however, been decided to build a school for teaching English at Un-long, and during the cold season, the attendance officer of the Inexpenditure on the Police Establishment in the spector of Schools visited the whole of the New Territory amounted to 8102,292.48. Territory. An inquiry has been made regarding the schools at present in existence, and steps will be taken to bring them so far as possible under the Education Department.
Malarial fever was very prevalent in the rainy season.
There has also been a great deal of dysentery amongst the police stationed in the New Territory. This, in the opinion of Dr. Bell, Acting Principal Civil Medical Officer, is another form of malaris, as the malarial parasites have been found in the blood and have answered more readily to treatment by quinine than by the other drugs usually employed in treating dysentery. All cases of this disease admitted to the Govern- ment Civil Hospital are being carefully examined with a view to ascertaining the extent to which malaria is a canse of dysentery.
Free vaccinations have been performed by Mr. Ho, but only 78 in number. There are
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The conditions in these two questions being more or less similar, why should the Goven. ment's powers not be limited to letting by public tender to the highest bidder the taking of coral and shells from the sea adjoining the New Territory—the lessee being allowed to make his own arrangements with the owners of the mid "prescriptive rights”? .
The proposed enactment appears to me to be ~ inequitable and unjust, and for the_informaation of those interested and concerned, I propose to send a copy of this latter to the local Prose for publication.-Yours very truly,
(Signed) T. H. WEITEHEAD. The Hon. H. E. POLLOCK, K.C,
Attorney-General.