PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O. 885
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
20 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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Enclosure in No. 48.
MEMORANDUM.
Land Registry Department.
1. With reference to Secretary of State's despatch, No. 127, of the 5th August, 1910, on the subject of the proposed increase of the Survey staff with a view to completing the valuation of properties within the period of 20 years prescribed under Law 12 of 1907, I beg to state the survey on a 25-inch scale was commenced in 1903, the item "Survey and Settlement of Titles in the Messaoria" for this purpose having appeared in the Cyprus Estimates under Schedule 10 (B) since 1902, and the survey on this scale has continued ever since with the approval of the Secre- tary of State, vide his despatch No. 137 of 26th August, 1904.
2. In 1907 the Legislative Council passed the Law No. 12, which, as regards registration, takes the place of the Titles Registration Law, 1885, and it also pro- vides a new law as regards valuation. A chapter dealing with the survey which precedes the registration and valuation was not added to this Law because Law V. of 1880 on the subject is considered complete in itself, and does not require amplifi- cation.
3. Since then, however, Law 8 of 1909 has been passed, which renders it obliga- tory that the general registration and valuation under Law 12 of 1907 shall be accompanied by a survey on a sufficiently large scale to allow of every holding being identified on the plan.
4. The question of registration and valuation of immovable property was raised prior to 1885 when Captain Grant, R.E., Director of Survey, wrote the memo- randum dated 15th December, 1885, attached. Enclosure No. 1.*
5. The adoption of a large scale was first recommended by the Land Registra- tion Commission which sat in 1891, whose report I attach. Enclosure No. 2.**
6. The Commission found that any system of registration and valuation fell short of its requirements unless accompanied by a plan on a sufficiently large scale to show each holding, see page 332, et seq., of the report, in order to comply with the provisions of Laws 12 of 1907 and 8 of 1909, which state that notice as to the extent of each holding should be given, as in Cyprus the land measure called Donum "(-1/3 of an acre) is known by so many different sizes it is not possible to
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ascertain the true extent of á holding according to the standard unless it is measured and a plan of it is made.
7. As stated, the survey on a 25-inch scale was commenced in 1903 under Law V. of 1880. This law was augmented by Laws 12 of 1907 and 8 of 1909, which enable a registration and valuation to take place together with the survey, and since then the three have been executed concurrently under the style "General Registration and Revaluation," some 320 square miles having been done up to date. 8. In order to see how the three work together it will be necessary to read carefully the enclosed" Instructions for the General Registration and Valuation of Immovable Property in Cyprus issued by my predecessor on the 10th September, 1909.* Enclosure No. 3.
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9. The staff now suggested is not asked for in order to carry out all the survey work involved, nor is it considered adequate to do so; it is required to augment the staff already employed, the whole being required to carry out the work prescribed by the law, which consists, besides the survey, of compulsory registration, partial valuations, and the general valuation within the period prescribed by the law, which can only be satisfactorily attained with the preceding survey on a sufficiently large 10. The survey now being carried out is not with a view to a scientific survey of the island being made.
scale.
The object in view is to insure that the boundaries of small holdings may be determined with sufficient accuracy and recorded in such a way that they may be identified at any time, and that the record may furnish sufficient evidence of the proper positions of the boundaries. Also that every part and parcel of land shall be taxed in proportion to its area and productive powers. In order to do this it is necessary that every field or holding should be measured separately in its integrity on a large scale, be distinguished by a No., and the necessary information obtained regarding situation, cultivation, nature of soil, &c., &c. The plotting is
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done in continuous sheets. The method of measurement is of the simplest nature, and requires no scientific knowledge; such knowledge as is necessary may be easily acquired by natives of ordinary ability in six months or a year. accuracy is not considered necessary, though it is desirable that the best men avail- Extreme scientific able should be employed.
11. That a survey of some sort is considered necessary is a fact that was admitted even by the Turks some 50 years ago, when they made their first valuation, and accompanied it by the best survey they were able to make in those days. Since then the Turkish Government has adopted the principle that every title deed should be accompanied by a plan. Last year the Turkish Minister of Land Registry visited London to study the system in force in the Land Registry at Lincoln's Inn. I attach copy of a plan of a property in Constantinople issued by the Land Registry Office there. Enclosure No. 4.
12. The two surveyors now asked for are not merely required on loan for this work only. It is desirable that they should be looked upon more in the light of permanent officials of the Cyprus Government. In order that the Cyprus Govern- ment should not be saddled with unsuitable men it was asked that their contract [should be] for three years, so that each party should have an opportunity of satisfying itself at the end of that period. salaries, and, having regard to the wages paid by English companies in the The salaries offered are initial East for English surveyors, they are considered adequate for young men. The object in asking that Colonel Grant might do this Government the great favour of selecting the men island, and that he might explain to the candidates the conditions ruling; was because of his experience of the his choice would also be a guarantee as to ability and a certificate as character. Apart from the general survey, registration, and valuation, there is a constant growing demand on this Department for official survey plans of perty from all classes of the public as well as from the Government, the cost of making such plans being reimbursed to the Government. These surveyors are required to assist in such work, also to stiffen the Department in this branch, to instruct the young Cypriot officials in the work, and generally to strengthen the island in a science in which it is deficient.
to
pro-
They are practically the men mentioned in the appendix to Captain Grant's report, Enclosure No. 1, their duties being of a somewhat more responsible nature and their pay higher.
13. Coming next to the cost of the survey, I do not think there is any danger of it costing more than the actual value of the land. Taking the tithe as a basis, gross value of landed property in Cyprus would be £7,000,000, as follows:-
the
Tithe, 1/10
Remaining 9/10
Gross value........
£70,000 630,000
£700,000 which would represent the interest on a
capital of £7,000,000 at 10 per cent., which is the average rate of interest obtainable in Cyprus on capital. This does not include the value of property on which there is no tithe, i.e., houses, gardens, and trees, nor the value of land on which produce non-tithable or tithable on export is grown. In fact, it includes only the value of land on which cereals-wheat, barley, vetches, and oats are grown, which forms about 1/3 of the island; adding the other 2/3, the capital value of property in the island should be about £21 millions. The assessment of property made by the Ottoman Government about 20 years before the occupation, i.e., 50 years ago, showed a capital value of £7 millions, which, on account of the increase in cultiva- tion and value, would make the present estimate of £21 millions approximately Taking £7 millions as the value of property in, and 3,584 square miles as the area of, the island, this would give a value of £1,954 per square mile. The cost of surveying, registering, and valuing a square mile, taking £100,000 as the cost for the whole island, would be £28 per square mile. Though a sum of £5,000 is taken each year in the Estimates for the carrying out of Laws V. of 1880, and XII. of 1907, and VIII. of 1909, the execution of these laws will not be any expense to the Government, as the cost of surveying, registering, and valuing each plot is recovered
correct.
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