I 2
5. FEES.
The total amount of fees collected by stamps, exclusive of the New Territories, during the year was $101,598.25 being $22,032.75 less than the previous year. Land registration fees in the New Territories amounted to $8,980.00 and Crown Lease fees to $170.00.
The amounts of fees collected under the different headings for the years 1915 to 1924 are shown in Table IV where it will be seen that with the exception of last year, the total fees collected in 1924 is considerably in excess of the figure for any of the earlier years shown.
6. STAMP DUTY.
Stamp Duty paid on registered documents exclusive of Probates and Letters of Administration amounted to $934,748.35. Stamp Duty on Probates and Letters of Administration registered amounted to $335,946.95.
7. CROWN RENT ROLL.
The Crown Rent Roll for Hongkong and Kowloon, and the Village Crown Rent Roll, were revised during the year, this is becoming an increasingly heavy task owing to the addition of a large number of new lots, particularly in New Kowloon. The Village of Chai Wan comprising 725 holdings has been added to the Village Roll.
The total Crown Rent shown on the Roll of leased lands in Hongkong and Kowloon (excluding the Villages entered in the Village Rent Roll) amounted for the year ending 25th December to $573,395.34 an increase of $24,318.87 on the preceding year, the net increase of lots appearing on the Roll was 158, these increases are mainly due to the grant of a large number of new lots in New Kowloon.
The total amount shown on the Village Rent Roll for the year ending 30th September was $2,863.05, a decrease of $282.20 on the previous year. This decrease is due mainly to resumptions at Hok Un, To Kwa Wan, Ma Tau Kok, Kau Pui Shek and other villages affected by the new laying out scheme now in progress which involved the writing off of a larger sum than the increase caused by the addition of the village of Chai Wan mentioned above.
8. DOCUMENTS.
The conveyancing work which is done in the Land Office has been steadily increasing of late years; the amount done during the year under review has been particularly heavy.
The old system of granting formal licences for carrying on offensive trades has been superseded by a less formal and more
Page 210
Page 211