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REPORT ON THE NEW TERRITORIES FOR THE YEAR 1933.
B.-SOUTHERN DISTRICT.
STAFF.
Mr. B. C. K. Hawkins was in charge from 1st January to 10th May and Mr. D. M. MacDougall from 11th May to the end of the year.
EXPENDITURE AND REVENUE.
2. Comparative figures of Revenue and Expenditure for the year 1932 and 1933 are given in Tables I-III. Collections in respect of duties on liquors and tobaccos are not included, being paid to the Imports and Exports Department.
3. The Revenue collected by the Department, as shown in Table II(a), exceeds the previous year's total by $5,603.39. This increase results from a number of unusually large Land Sales during the year and a greater demand for sand permits.
4. Table II(b) shows Revenue collected by other departments and the grand total of the District's revenue is given in Table II(c). The increase of $30,259.26 there noted is mainly due to increasing Returns from Village Rates.
5. Table III contains a comparative statement of Expenditure and Revenue of the department for the past ten years.
MAGISTRACY.
6. Tables IV to VIII show details of the cases heard by the District Officer sitting as Police Magistrate and as Judge of the Small Debts Court.
7. The number of Police cases dealt with was almost double that of the previous year, but this alarming increase was fortunately not concerned with the more serious crimes against the person and property.
8. It was due almost entirely to renewed activity among opium smugglers; to the persistence, in spite of greatly increased penalties, of sand stealers; and to the transfer, from Kowloon Magistracy to the District Officer's Court, of all traffic offences committed on the roads of the District.
9. There was one charge of Highway Robbery at Tsuen Wan and one of Manslaughter at Keung Shan, Lantau Island, during the year. The offenders were committed for trial.