CO129-304 - Governor Sir Blake - 1901 [1-4] — Page 648

COPY.

To

Sir,'

ENCLOSURE 3.

C. O.

10623

642

Kowloon, 17th. April, 1901.

The Honourable

The Director of Public. Works,

Hongkong.

I have the honour to invite your atten-

tion to the Official Report submitted by me on the 11th. March, 1901, on the progress of the Surveys up to the close of the Official year, called for by the Honourable the Colonial Secretary for the Blue Book; also that of 21st. February.

available.

2.

3.

In the you will find all the information

With regard to the question whether the Surveys will be completed by the 31st. December, 1901, I have the hanour to state that everything but the Cadastral Survey will be easily completed before that date. The progress of the Cadastral Surveys has been greatly retarded by the system adopted of combi- ning the demarcation of holdings (with a view to ascertaining the proprietor or occupier's claim) pari passu with the execution of the Survey.

4.

Last year an area of 41,000 Aores was surveyed. This year even if the system of paying the Field Sur- veyors by results, (and without demarcation † had been continued the out-turn would have been greatly diminished for two reasons.

The extremely difficult nature of the ground, and the very minute fields,

(a).

(b).

Owing to the necessity of working on the 32 inch to a mile acale, which was forced upon us by the very minute fields that had to be surveyed and delineated. These were so small as to be almost entirely lost on the 16.1 mile scale,

5.

Owing however to the impossibility of continuing to pay the Field Surveyors by results when their work depended very greatly on the punctual attendance, or non-atten- dance, of Chinese Landholders, and Demarcators; these men had to be glaced on fixed salaries. An attempt, at this date, to revert to the payment by result system would lead to very great deal of trouble with the men, most of whom would infallibly strike, and

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