I
ZHONGKONG TELEGRAPH.
NEW TERRITORIES DEVELOPMENT. Those who have looked out sites
on which to build for themselves fought to have some reward for.
GOVERNMENT AND LANDOWNERS DISAGREE.eir pains, and, in the case of
A Deadlock at Castle Peak.
["Telegraph" Special.]
Something in the nature of a contretemps, or, to use the collo quial equivalent, an awkward situation, has arisen between the Government and certain purcha sers of land inthe New Territories, in consequence of which the development of such places as Castle Peak is not proceeding so smoothly aa was at one time hoped. The facts make interest ing study, for they show, if no thing else, that the Government is fully alive to the necessity of preventing speculation in land values and also that persons who otherwise would have erected houses or bungalows by now have been prevented from so doing, We will state the facts first.
new districts, we do not believe, that the principle of auctioning
The Government is
We suggest, especially in the
DAIRY
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1993.
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and is the best. It might result in much public revenue, but it does not result in the greatest amount of public good. Whenevar, matters. If a holder wishes to an auction is held, the upset price build a hut or a shack in connec-is invariably passed and rich tion with his work, the Govern Chinese investors usually succoed ment grants permission.
in outlasting other bidders. "The terms on which the Government is prepared to allow
case of Castle Feat, that there is building are these." proceeded an easy and satisfactory way out Mr. Fletcher. "A man comes to of the deadlock. The Government us and says he wants a certain has a definite scheme drawn up for piece of land and if the site he this area; it has mapped out ten; has chosen conforms with the sites and made provision for a general plan of development and service road-s cul de sus along is Crown Land we put the site up the hillside. Why should not the for auction in the usual way. Government announce that it is And we say the same to the ready to sell those ten building people who have bought agricul sites, not by public auction but at tural land.
a fixed price arrived at after due prepared to give them a fair value consideration has been given to
their land. such value such matters for
as compensation being based on the worth of the payments, future value, etc? The With a view to the erection of land for raising crops. But if they Government could put a certain dwellings or well-favoured and have allowed land to go to waste value on the land and then easily accessible sites in the New they will only get waste land announce that it has ten building Territories quite a number of value for it. The price we offer is site for sale at Castle Peak for people have. Since the opening of based on what would be reason so much a square foot, preference the motor roads, purchased from able compensation for disturbed of purchase being given to those Chinese agricultural
bolders agricultural holders. The Govern-who have already made unsucces- parcels of land. In the ma- ment, baving secured the land, is ful applications for conversion in jority 屋 rases,
land then prepared to put it up for us this district, other applications the being used for the tina as building sites, properly being treated in the order in ICE-CREAMS, raising of crops, for which the planned out. That is the gay which they are received. Chinese holders were paying a fair procedure. The Government are certain that if the Govern rather nomigal Crown rent. It is prepared to put up any Crownment made some such announce- an attractive proposition Land site for auction, but it is not ment it would receive far more for them, when a prospective prepared privately to grant build- than ten applications, and the purchaser come along and offered ing rights to people who have development of Castle Peak would to buy the lead, had a right to bough: land cheaply in the hope be an assured thing. Those who DEVERAGES and in many cases land hasof making high profits. We offer have bought agricultural land changed hands
figure, fair price for the land as it is would possibly be at a attractively low to the purchaser and will then sell it openly for get back the bare sums but attractively high to the seller. building purposes. Those are the they have paid out if they were The lesses under which the Government terms." agricultural holders held posses- sion stated.clearly, that the lesees were only entitled to use the land for agricultural purposes and, so before the new owners can at-
the to
Was
Was
temp: to build, they have had to apply
tion
THE OTHER SIDE.
We
content to
jassured that they could event- ually purchase their sites for After seeing Mr. Fletcher, our building at a reasonable price. representative had a conversa. Their fear to-day is competition
2 with local gentleman who has bought agricultural land and. furthermore. "they argue on the part of rich outsiders. at Castle Peak and applied for that the Government is seek Government | conversion. His argument was ing to get big prices itself) for permission to have the that by putting up the land for whils condemning such 1 land converted from "agricul-auction the Government was desire in others. It should not tural
lats" inta "building unfairly reaping the benefit of be difficult to arrive at a fair! lots. The Government has re-present-day auction prices, which estimate of what any particular fused to graut any such converswould probably be considerably piece of land is worth and the ions and have told
rare that the owner, who had Government should be content to the new owners that the busing of any
gone to the trouble of selecting accept such estimated price. "building los" must be a matter the site, would be prepared to Regarding isolated sites in of sale by public auction. The pay.
All those who had bought different
parts of the Sew Government disapproves, entire agricultural land were not neces- Territories, we are entirely ly, of the practise of privately sarily speculators, many of them with the Government against buying agricultural land and desired to build houses or bung-free conversion. but then, by getting Government alows for themselves but could do think the Government can permission to wild, enhancing not afford to compete in public afford to do away with the need the value of that land. The auction with rich Chinese for an auction and could put a Government describes the pro-syndicates. The Government, bgxed price on the land for build- ceeding as "land speculation is present polies, had prevented ing purposes. present Needless to say, such action the erection of many houses and being given first option of pur- on the part of the Government was actually retarding the chase. has led to a deal of heartburning development of the New Terri-
WA
Owners
If something of this kind is not on the part of the new lanctories. Furthermore, the Govern-done, we foresee the holding up owners, and it was because we met would be gairing a great of much desirable development. learned of its existence, we made profit by giving the present owne enquiries into the matter.
"a fair agricultual price" THE GOVERNMENT'S CASE. and then selling for building por- When seen by a representative poses. "If I gave two cents a foot of the Telegraph, Mr. A. G. M. for my land and the Government Fletcher was most emphatic on paid me back that price and then the Government's attitude. He got 50 cents a foot at auction, it|ADMITTED THIS MORNING. said that not only at Castle Peak, would be pocketing 48 cents a
A NEW SOLICITOR.
but in New Kowicon, speculators foot profit. That scarcely seems Mr. James Templer Prior was had been buying up little bits of fair either to me or to the late admitted by the Chief Justice agricultural land all over the agricultural holder. It the Gov (Sir Wm. Rec-Davies) thi countryside and then claimingerament sell by auction it should moming to practise in the Hong- the right to conversion. "As you not pocket the whole of the profit. kong Court.
""
know he proceeded, "the Guvern-It allows little, disfiguring mat- In making the application for ment has town-planning schemes sheds at Castle Peak, which blow Mr. Prior's admission and for these areas which aim at de-down at every typhoon, but won't enrollment, the Attorney General velopment along reasonable allow people to build houses or (Hon. Mr. J. H. Kemp) mention lines, but these
pur-bungalows even though it woulded that Mr. Prior, who was 25 chasers WIN 11 to build Just be easily possible to make the seats of age. had seen active on the little bits they have sites of those houses or bungalows | service. After twelve months at purchased. without any regard [conform
town-planning Sandhurst in April, 1918, Mr.
to
to a general plan. How should scheme. To allow buildings would Prior joined the King's Own) we ever have got the ordered kan increased revenue in the Scottish Borders and went development of Kowloon Tong way. of rates and taxes. I don't France. He took his B. A. and if we had allowed that kind think people should be allowed to LI. B. at Cambridge, passing his of thing? People have been build just where they like. but, final examination in June. this round the Territories, picking if by buying a little piece of year, and being admitted as a out the eyes of the country-side Crown Land next their own, they solicitor in August. and buying up the Land cheaply can build in conformity with any The Chief Justice said he had from agricultural holders just plan, then they should be allow-perused the documents which had to suit themselves. All they haveled to proceed, Some of them been filed in Mr. Prior's applica succeeded in deing so far is to have taken lot of trouble totion and was satisfied with their put the land out of cultivation. look out these sites and the only regularity, and had much plea We must have town planning reward they are likely to get is sure in admitting him to practise laid out properly, with roads, the privilege of seeing some rich in these Courts. Two things ap- and such like according to plan, syndicate run up the price at pealed to his Lordship as being These speculators have, in some auction far beyond what they in Mr. Prior's favour: be certain- cases, bought a quarter-of-an themselves can afford to give.ly bad youth on his side, and he acre or even a tenth-of an-acre Many people who wanted to had the big advantage of being e the best little hills and knolls of build homes for themselves are member and graduate of his the country-side. It we allowed keenly disappointed." them to build haphazard like
OUR SUGGESTION.
Lordship's own University. His Lordship hoped Mr. Prior's career
that much intervening Jand Looking at the matter fairly, in the Colony would be a suc would be rendered undesirable. we find much in the Govern-cessful one. They have bought the land, ment's
case with which we
cheaply and wish, by an act of must agree. Mere speculation conversion, to make it valuable.' should be discountenanced and
FIREBALL IN PLAYGROUND.
We have planned out Castle Peak it is not fair to the During a severe thunderstorm and to allow these speculators to general public that land, leas at Banham, near Attleborough, nominal rental for Norfolk, what seemed to be a ball build where they like would be to ed at a ruin the lay out of the place for agricultural purposes, should be of fire fell with a crash into the good.
converted by a stroke of the pen playground of the infants' school. Mr. Fletcher proceeded to into valuable building land for the It set fire to the outbuildings and explain that the ordinary lease benefit of the astute. Further-smashed the gate of the school under which agricultural land is more, we entirely agree that house. No one was injured, but the held in Hongkong states clearly development should be planned children were greatly alarmed. that the bolder is entitled to use and not haphazard. Hongkong the land for agricultural purposes has suffered greatly from lack of only and not entitled to build development plans in the past. On on it. The only occasions on the other hand, we think that de- which conversion is granted are velopment should not be held up those connected with agricultural because of the impasse reached.
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CORNISH MINERS EMIGRATE. Montreal, Quebec.-A party of |
GYPSY'S PROPHECY, Calling at a house in Burton-
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51.20
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Alexandra Building