C
185
reference to one of the Assistant Land Officers who is al so
Member of the Court.
4.
A Bill has, however, been drafted dealing
with the registration and transfer of titles to land in the
New Territories under which it is proposed to give certain
special powers to the Land Officer and his Assistants in deal-
ing with disputes and other questions concerning land. This
Ordinance when passed will render possible the repeal of the
Land Court Ordinance, and I hope to forward it to you in the
course of the next few months.
5.
dla
In the 6th. paragraph of Mr. May's Des-
patch under reference it was stated that an estimate of the
provision necessary for the Land Court during 1905 could not
be made until late in the year. Dater when the Estimates for
1905 were framed it was hoped that no expenditure would be re-
quired in connection with the and Court. The completion of
the duties of that Court, as far as concerned the determina-
tion of claims, has, however, resulted in considerable addi-
tions to the work of the Land Office, including the competion
of a New Rent Roll based on the titles granted, and the pre-
paration of a register of transfers of land and other books.
To cope with these additions and to pro-
vide for the working of the proposed Ordinance dealing with registration of land work which owing to the enormous number of holdings will be heavy it has been found necessary to
provide a Staff, over and above that appearing in the Esti- mates for the current year. This staff is detailed in the enclosed Financial minute which was submitted to the Legisla-
-tive
6.