-J 9.
B.—SOUTHERN DISTRICT.
I.---STAFF.
Mr. A. D. Ball acted as Assistant District Officer until April 16th on which date I relieved him and acted until the end of the year.
Mr. McLennan acted as Land Bailiff until 14th February, 1917, when he left on 9 months leave, which was subsequently extended on medical grounds. On 25th July, 1917, Mr. Blaikley, (Private, 25th Middlesex Regiment), was seconded to act temporarily and he continued so to do until the end of the year.
II. MAGISTRACY.
The Assistant District Officer sitting as Police Magistrate heard during the year 133 cases affecting 218 persons.
162 persons were convicted or bound over and 21 were discharged.
The following table gives a comparison with 1915 and 1916 :-
1915 1916 1917 No. of cases, 127 129 133 No. of persons affected, 211 188 218 No. of persons convicted or bound over,... 163 142 162 No. of persons discharged,... 35 25 21 No, of persons imprisoned,.... Fines (excluding Opium and Arms Fines), 12 17 30 in 1917 Arms Fines, $2,569.45 $1,163.52 $605.02 Opium Fines paid to Government Reward Fund, $305.00 $93.86 $35.00 Forfeitures,... $1,399.79 $121.42 $218.94 $131.75III. SMALL DEBTS COURT.
78 cases were instituted during the year as compared with 110 in 1916 and 98 in 1915. Courts were held as usual in the District during the year.
IV.—LAND OFFICE.
The number of sales of land and other transactions affecting land which took place during 1917 are set forth in Table A.
1,487 deeds were registered during the year as compared with 1,342 in 1916. This is again the highest number on record. Registration fees for 1917 were $1,868.40 as compared with $1,519.50 in 1916.
The only noticeable land transaction during the year was the sale of some 12,600 square feet at Ping Chau.
Applications for land on the Lantao plateau for monastic purposes continued to be made during 1917.
There is no probability of any other development there.