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land in the New Territories,
-
the farmers refusing to
acknowledge the clans as their landlords and the clan land- lords being unable to identify their lands except through
the aid of the farmers who in some cases will not, and in
other cases cannot, render the assistance required.
land
5. I suggested some time ago the constitution of a land
Court for. the purpose of deciding with due authority and without recourse to litigation in the Supreme Court,all, questions,a and particularly for the purpose of obtaining
a legal schedule of all claims in relation to land in the
New Territories. This appears, however, to be a slow proce (00 but without it there is no one who can decide with authori.
ty who shall be the Crown Tenants. I would therefore advis
two Rent Rolls,one a roll of undisputed ownership/and the
other a supplementary Roll to contain the Farmers or
Cultivators' names and amounts payable, to be used with a spe
cial form of receipt until the question in dispute are
settled to the satisfaction of the Government. Indeed I
would advise a special form of Receipt in all cases so
that the Government recongnition of wrong ownership may be
avoided. This however is a detail which can be settled
when the Rent Rolls are prepared.
6. When the first Rent Roll or Rolls are completed the
Auxiliary Staff will no longer be needed and any changes
would be made from registered changes as in the present
Crown Rent Roll.
7. I would also advise the appointment of two Land
Bailiffs whose duty it should be to visit each locality
where there is cultivated land, at least twice a year and
report any apparent changes to the Director of Public
Works or Land Officer for enquiry.
9.
It
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