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Hong Kong Annual Administration Reports, 1841-1941
COLONIAL REPORTS--ANNUAL.
In connection with survey work nearly 1,000,000 square feet were cleared.
Vegetables were grown in the economic garden at Fanling for demonstration purposes.
Onions raised from seed obtained from Teneriffe matured and were a great success.
The first rice crop was good but the second was poor generally. Lichees and peanuts were fair.
(e)-LAND GRANTS AND GENERAL VALUE OF LAND.
The net amount of premium received from sales of Crown land and pier rights for the year 1916 was $203,234, an increase of $123,658 on the preceding year and $6,351 greater than the average for the past five years.
The principal items were $30,410 in respect of extensions of the sites of Kowloon permanent piers Nos. 23, 24, 25, and 34, $43,000 on the sale of Kowloon Inland Lot No. 1304, $40,480 on the sale of Kowloon Inland Lot No. 1301, and $15,000 in respect of an extension to Marine Lot No. 321.
In the New Territories the net amount received for premium on sales of land was $144,835, being an increase of $131,593 on the preceding year. The principal items were $75,000 for New Kowloon Inland Lots Nos. 115 to 138 and $48,600 for a large area in the Ping Shan District.
The number of deeds registered in the Land Office was 2,670 or 516 more than the previous year, the total consideration being $42,291,549 as against $30,250,789 in the previous year.
The Government resumed several properties at Hung Hom during the year in connection with the erection of carriage sheds for the railway, and also a large oyster bed in connection with the development scheme at Ping Shan.
The total area of land granted during the year was 1,854 acres, of which 1,8192 acres were situated in the New Territories; the total area of land resumed was 1,345 acres; of which 1,211 acres was the area of the oyster bed above referred to.
In the Northern District of the New Territories there was an unprecedented demand for land, the revenue from this source far exceeding that of all previous years.
The scheme for the reclamation of an extensive area in Kowloon Bay is being carried out by a Chinese syndicate for the purpose of making a residential district for Chinese.
III.-LEGISLATION.
Fifteen Ordinances were passed during 1916, of which four were amendments of previous Ordinances.
The War Loan Ordinance (No. 12) provided for the raising of a sum of $3,000,000 as a gift to the Imperial Government for the purposes of the War.