Hong Kong Annual Administration Reports, 1841-1941
COLONIAL REPORTS-ANNUAL.
(e.)-LAND GRANTS AND GENERAL VALUE OF LAND.
The net amount of premium received from sales of Crown land and pier rights for 1914 (including $1,429 for boundary stones) was $245,538, a decrease of $46,747 on the preceding year but $38,679 more than the average for the past five years. The principal items in the Island were $37,500 for Marine Lot 321, having an area of nearly three acres situate at North Point, purchased by the Hongkong Electric Company, Limited, and $12,900 for Inland Lot No. 2091 situate at Kennedy Town, having an area of nearly an acre.
In Kowloon, Inland Lot No. 1286, being an unreclaimed area of 13,862 square feet situate at Yaumati, fetched $41,586 or $3 per square foot and Kowloon Inland Lot 1294, a building site adjoining Jordan and Nathan Roads having an area of 29,570 sq. ft., fetched $29,620, or slightly over $1 per square foot.
In the New Territories the net amount received for premium and boundary stones was $19,731, being $6,815 more than in the previous year.
The number of deeds relating to property registered in the Land Office during the year was nearly 400 less than in the previous year, the chief falling off being in the case of assignments which occurred during the latter part of the year, the number of lots changing hands being 998 as against 1,455 the previous year.
In the New Territories the demand for land continues normal.
III-LEGISLATION.
Thirty-three Ordinances were passed during 1914, of which 19 were amendments of previous Ordinances.
The most important matters with which these Ordinances dealt were the Opium Ordinance (No. 4), by which the Government assumed the entire control and management of the opium business hitherto leased out to private individuals; the Cremation Ordinance (No. 5), which provides for the regulation of the burning of human remains and enables crematoria to be established; the Seditious Publications Ordinance (No. 6); the Public Lighting Ordinance (No. 13), which provides for the public lighting of the Colony and for the protection of the appliances used in connection therewith; the Obscene Publications Ordinance (No. 15); the Dentistry Ordinance (No. 16), which endeavours to protect the public in some measure against the practice of dentistry by incompetent and unqualified persons; the Wild Bird and Game Preservation Ordinance (No. 18); the Piracy Prevention Ordinance (No. 23), the Special Police Reserve Ordinance (No. 27), which provides for the formation of a Special Police Reserve; and the following Ordinances necessitated by the outbreak of the war with Germany and Austria-Hungary:-Trading with the Enemy (No. 21), Alien Enemies (Winding up) Amendment (Nos. 28 and 30), and the Defences (Sketching Prevention) Amendment (No. 32).