IV. SMALL DEBTS COURT.
Fifty-one (51) cases were heard under the Small Debts Court Ordinance during the year, as against seventy-three (73) in 1910. The Assistant District Officer held regular courts at Tai O and Cheung Chau, and the advantages of a cheap and convenient hearing are appreciated by the island population. There were no cases from the mainland.
V. LAND OFFICE.
937 deeds were registered during the year. The following table shows the number of deeds that have been registered annually since the Land Ordinance came into force in 1905 :-
1905 (from August) 681 1906 1,061 1907 714 1908 641 1909 1,022 1910 759 1911 9371911 thus shows an increase of 9% over the average for the six years 1906 to 1911 inclusive.
39 auctions and 17 sales by private treaty were held. In all, 2 acres of land were sold, with an annual Crown Rental of $181.56. The total amount received as premia was $1,211.
25 lots with an area of 101 acres, and a Crown Rental of $15.55, were resumed for public purposes, chiefly in connection with the improvement of Ap Liu village. The cost of these resumptions was $3,913.10 and in two cases equivalent areas of Crown Land were granted in exchange.
137 lots were voluntarily surrendered by their owners, and 35 were re-entered upon by Government for non-payment of Crown Rent.
Graves. The regulations governing registration of Graves in the Northern District were on March 31st extended to the Southern District.
Cemeteries, however, are provided for New Kowloon and Cheung Chau, where the demand for land will not allow the privilege of a Chinese grave. In the rest of the District, 28 permits were issued between June and November, and it will not be long before the system is well understood.
VI. REVENUE.
The revenue collected is shown under the various heads in Table D.