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11. There were no cases heard of armed robbery during the year; there was one case of assault with intent to rob an old woman in a railway tunnel. The defendant was convicted and sentenced to six months imprisonment with hard labour.
12. The drop in the numbers of small debts cases heard and distress warrants issued (Table VII) may be a reflection of increased solvency and plenitude of money in the District.
13. Thirty-two cases of deaths in unusual circumstances were reported to the Police Magistrate during the year. Seven death inquiries, one with jury, and six without jury were held.
LAND OFFICE.
14. Complete details of the work of the Land Office are shown in Table VIII. The number of memorials registered in the Land Registry was 3,510 against 3,383 in 1930 and the amount of stamp duty received for registration of memorials was $4,992.70 against $4,833.80 in 1930.
15. There was a marked increase in the sales of Crown Land for agriculture during the year, 300.12 acres being sold for this purpose as compared with 106.70 acres in 1930.
16. The demand for building sites for shops and dwelling houses both European and Chinese continues strong. Large developments are in progress at Un Long, where sites have at last been made available for a row of large shops on the south side of the main road after protracted negotiations with private owners of parts of the sites, who have now been bought out by persons desiring to develop the area. A large area of the foreshore at Un Long creek, close to the market places, is also in process of reclamation for the commercial purposes of this important centre of New Territory trade. A big shop-building development is also pending on foreshore to be reclaimed near British Sha Tau Kok. At Tai Po Market on the foreshore adjoining the main road a large area has been sold to the China Light and Power Co. on which the Company's headquarters and works for the New Territories are about to be erected.
17. A new 21 years' block lease of the Oyster Beds in Deep Bay at a reassessed rental was granted during the year, after a long and tedious inquiry into the financial position and system of sub-tenure of these Beds.
18. Table IX shows the allocation of assistance from the Local Public Works vote during 1931. A great deal of good may be done by this vote for irrigation, communications, and the repair of storm damage in the district, and it also encourages the people to do something for themselves,