15
Lot No. 1358, $11,050 on the sale of Inland Lot No. 2224, and $8,507 on the sale of Kowloon Inland Lot No. 1352.
In the New Territories the net amount received for premium on sales of land was $11,622, being a decrease of $133,213 on the preceding year.
The number of deeds registered in the Land Office was 2,824 or 154 more than the preceding year, the total consideration being $42,666,837 as against $42,201,549 in 1916.
The Government resumed several large areas during the year, viz., Morrison Hill and an adjoining Lot; also some Lots at the Peak in connection with the Scheme for providing Quarters for Government Officers.
The total area of land granted during the year was 1433 acres of which 122 acres were situated in the New Territories; the total area of land resumed was 91 acres.
In the Northern District of the New Territories large areas of salt water marshes situate in the North West Corner were being negotiated for: the transaction had not been completed at the end of the year. The demand for land reached its usual level, shewing a slight increase on all previous years except 1916.
In the Southern District the demand for land has been about the same as in previous years.
III.--LEGISLATION.
Thirty-two Ordinances were passed during 1917 of which twelve were amendments of previous Ordinances.
The most important matters with which these Ordinances dealt were the Crown Land Preservation (No. 6), Liquors (No. 24), Deportation (No. 25), Opium (No. 27), Ferries (No. 28), Importation and Exportation (No. 30), and Fire and Marine Insurance Companies Deposit (No. 32).
The following Ordinances in connection with the war were enacted:-
The Alien Enemies (Winding up) Amendment (No. 11), Trading with the Enemy and Export of Prohibited Goods (No. 15), Rating (Special War Rate) (No. 18), Military Service (No. 19), Legal Proceedings against Enemies (No. 22), and Contracts (War Restrictions) (No. 31).
IV. EDUCATION.
No important changes have taken place in the Education Department during the year under review. The Staff has been depleted by causes due to the war, but the deficiency has been met in part by the appointment of Mistresses resident in the Colony.