CO129-322 - Acting Governor May - 1904 [1-5] — Page 206

205

more than 2% or 8% of these Lots will be found to be disputed and for the others whatever titles it is contemplated to adopt may be issued as soon as the taxlord claims in each district are disposed of.

I am not aware what the policy of the Government will be with taxlords but where they can prove their rights the tenants will be willing in many cases to buy them out. In others they may doubtless be bought out by the Crown, each case being taken on its merits under a general scheme of settlement.

4. The total number of Taxlord claims laid is 521. The total number of A claims on the mainland is 430 outside of New Kowloon. Some eight or ten of these are based on stamped certificates issued by the Chinese Government. Few of the rest need be taken seriously as they are based on no shadow of proper title and can be disallowed at a very rapid rate. Some few are laid for village sites, and are really matter for settlement. Government will have to make up its mind what rights of common &c., it will allow to village communities.

There are some 600 disputes outstanding on the main-land. Many of these come under the heading of Taxlord cases and will disappear when the Taxlord claims are cleared away. The other should be rapidly disposed of if Solicitors are not permitted to appear. Map and area statements are all ready and a perambulating officer spending a month or two at each centre should make short work of most of the disputes.

6. Fishing ground claims will I presume be dealt with by the issue of Fishing licences where there is occupation and treated as taxlord claims where a rent only has been collected.

7.