# Appendix J.
# REPORT ON THE NEW TERRITORIES FOR THE YEAR 1920,
## A—NORTHERN DISTRICT.
### I.—STAFF.
Mr. A. E. Wood was in charge of the district from the 1st January till the 13th December, when he went on long leave and Mr. D. W. Tratman took over charge.
### II.—MAGISTRACY.
Table A shews the number of cases heard by the District Officer sitting as Police Magistrate and as Judge of the Small Debts Court.
As in the previous year money-loan-associations or "wui's" formed by far the greater proportion of the Small Debts Court work. The worst offenders were the people of Shün Wan and the neighbouring villages round Plover Cove, where liabilities in one "wui" appear to have been met by the most reckless bidding in others and even by the formation of new "wui's" of a correspondingly increased fragility. Under such circumstances neither the promoters nor the members of the associations are at any pains to ascertain each other's financial status, all concerned being satisfied with the prospect of some ready money with which they may tide over their more pressing liabilities. This type of case is particularly vexatious on account of the strain which it imposes on the European Police who serve the Court as bailiffs. The assistance of the Court is rarely sought until the defalcations are both large and wilful and once the Court has set its hand to a "wui" it is expected to bring the defaulters to book at each successive drawing, with the result that quarter after quarter the police have to be called upon to execute fresh judgments against the same group of a dozen or more elusive debtors scattered over many miles of country, often at a very considerable distance from the Station. It would almost seem preferable to treat "wui's" as gambling transactions not allowing of legal remedy: but on the other hand the whole life of the Territory is so deeply permeated by this type of finance that the general course of administration would at times be seriously obstructed by such a rule. An occasional application of the rule would be inequitable for the same reason, the sinner in one case being often sinned against in another and entitled to claim there the exercise of the pressure applied to himself and so on indefinitely.
### III.—LAND OFFICE.
The number of sales of land and other transactions affecting land which took place during the year are set out in Table B.
The number of memorials registered was 3,607 as against 3,181 in 1919. The fees received as stamp duty amounted to $2,435.60 as against $1,964.90 in the previous year.