COPY
L.0. No.312/08
i
712
¡REC?
358
REG 7 JAN 09
LAND
OFFICE,
HONGKONG, 26th. November, 1908.
t
Sir,
I have the honour to recommend that the sanction
of the Right Honourable Secretary of State for Colonies be
applied for for selling land in the New Territories by pri-
vate treaty instead of by auction as at the present time.
In the Northern District of the New Territories applications
for building lots are of dɛ ly occurrence, The lots are
all small lots suitable only for a Chinese dwelling and
mostly adjoining other houses in the village or in its vi-
cinity.
The premium very rarely exceeds $10. and is usual
-ly much lower and in the case of extension to existing
lots is only about $2. There is never any competition at
the auctions and no interest is taken in the sale except
by the applicants and the lots are therefore knocked down
at the upset price. The cost of advertising in the case
of the small lots almost swallows up any profit that might
be gained from the premium and in the case of very small
agricultural lots the cost of advertising exceeds the pre-
mium. I would therefore recommend that in the case of
building lots in the New Territories apart from New Kowloon
and the shores of Junk Bay sales of areas not exceeding
1,000 square feet should be sold without auction at the
approved rates of Premium and Crown Rent viz: 1 or 2ƒ per
aquare foot and Crown Rent $100 or $50 per acre and in the
case of agricultural lots areas not exceeding 1/8 of an
acre be similarly sold at the approved rates of premium and
Crown Rent viz: 3/4, 1/2 or 1/4 cents per square foot pre- mium and $3., $2 or $1. Crown Rent per acre per annum. The
The Honourable
Mr. F.H.May,C.M.G.,
Colonial Secretary,
&C.
&C.
&C =