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10. The development of Tai Po and Yuen Long markets was well maintained and in only one case was an extension of the period for compliance with building covenant required. Towards the end of the year these market villages were delimited as urban areas and an assessment by this department of all buildings therein made preparatory to the collection of rates from the beginning of 1936 in accordance with an ordinance passed to supplement the Rating Ordinance in respect of the New Territories. By the middle of the year the water supply to Yuen Long was turned on and is proving a great amenity to the inhabitants, who can now draw water outside their doors or have it laid onto their houses, and is very useful for purposes of cleanliness and fire-fighting.
11. The rainfall at Tai Po was 84.48 inches as against 94.36 inches in 1934 and fell at opportune times for the farmers. Both padi crops were excellent, the second admittedly so even by the farmers themselves, and the enhanced local supply coincided luckily with a slightly enhanced price outside the Colony; but most of the additional profit is understood to have been gained by the rice dealers, in whose hands the rice was when the price rose, rather than by the farmers.
12. The acreage under pineapple cultivation continues to grow, though during the year little profit was made in this line owing to the weak demand in the Hong Kong market.
13. Fish were reported plentiful in the waters of the district, but it was said that as far as the Sai Kung fisheries are concerned no advantage was derived from this plenitude because of the difficulty of transporting the fish from Sai Kung so as to reach the Kowloon markets in a fresh condition, and the Tai Po fish merchants complained that they were handicapped because of the high duty charged on New Territories fish on export over the border to Chinese Territory.
14. During the course of the year all postal work in the district was taken over direct by the Post Office department and a complete Postal service is now available in the district with branch post offices at Tai Po and Yuen Long; pillar post boxes at convenient places along the roads, and collections and deliveries by postal messengers on bicycles.
15. The streets at Yuen Long were named during the year and name plates fixed in connection with the assessment and rating scheme. At the same time name plates and guiding signs were fixed at all large villages along the main road and at cross-roads.