-J2-
The number of small debts cases again increased.
Conditions in the district were difficult owing to the prolonged drought and to this cause may be attributed a large number of actions brought by shopkeepers for goods supplied, and an unusually large number of unstable money loan associations, which accounted for the bulk of the Small debts court work.
There were besides 56 miscellaneous cases, 36 "Women and girls cases" and 166 cases of all kinds at Ping Shan, or 55 above the average for the last five years.
The general tendency is for the work to increase.
Thirty-one dead bodies were sent to the Mortuary and six formal enquiries were held.
III. LAND OFFICE.
The number of sales and other transactions affecting land during the year is set out in Table B.
The number of memorials registered was 3,176 against 2,830, and fees received as stamp duty, $3,708.40 against $3,347.70 in 1928.
Although the year compares unfavourably with 1928 in village development, again a reflection of the hardships suffered by the farmers during the drought, there were compensating features in the large number of local improvements undertaken by Government, which by giving employment to the people in a period of enforced idleness, alleviated to no small extent the distress of the agricultural population.
Six of the eight sites to accommodate the villagers to be removed from the Southern District in connection with the Shing Mun waterworks scheme were completed, or practically completed during the year. One of the greatest difficulties encountered in reconciling these people to these new houses has been the question of 'fung shui', a pseudo-science which, trivial as it may seem to Western eyes, has an all-important bearing in the question of selecting or forming a site for Chinese dwellings. Great credit is due to those officers in charge of the actual construction who, by constantly meeting as far as possible the fung shui objections raised, succeeded in making completely satisfactory sites for so many villages in so short a time.
At one site, unfortunately, rock has been encountered in the process of levelling, and in this case a further delay in moving the villagers may be expected.
Access paths were constructed to several of those sites, and sample houses were erected on the most important, by Government. The villagers are in the process of building for themselves new houses on four sites.
-J2-
The number of small debts cases again increased.
Conditions in the district were difficult owing to the pro- longed drought and to this cause may be attributed a large number of actions brought by shopkeepers for goods supplied, and an unusually large number of unstable money loan associa- tions, which accounted for the bulk of the Small debts court work.
There were besides 56 miscellaneous cases, 36 "Women and girls cases" and 166 cases of all kinds at Ping Shan, or 55 above the average for the last five years.
The general tendency is for the work to increase.
Thirty one dead bodies were sent to the Mortuary and six formal enquiries were held.
III. LAND OFFICE.
The number of sales and other transactions affecting land during the year is set out in Table B.
The number of memorials registered was 3,176 against 2,830, and fees received as stamp duty, $3,708.40 against $3,347.70 in 1928.
Although the year compares unfavourably with 1928 in village development, again a reflection of the hardships suffered by the farmers during the drought, there were compensating features in the large number of local improvements undertaken by Government, which by giving employment to the people in a period of enforced idleness, alleviated to no small extent the distress of the agricultural population.
Six of the eight sites to accommodate the villagers to be removed from the Southern District in connection with the Shing Mun waterworks scheme were completed, or practically com- pleted during the year. One of the greatest difficulties encoun- tered in reconciling these people to these new houses has been the question of 'fung shui a pseudo-science which trivial as it may seem to Western eyes, has an all-important bearing in the question of selecting or forming a site for Chinese dwellings. Great credit is due to those officers in charge of the actual construction who, by constantly meeting as far as possible the fungshui objections raised, succeeded in making completely satis- factory sites for so many villages in so short a time.
At one site, unfortunately, rock has been encountered in the process of levelling, and in this case a further delay in moving the vill agers may be expected.
Access paths were constructed to several of those sites, and sample houses were erected on the most important, by Govern- ment. The villagers are in the process of building for themselves new houses on four sites.
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