CO129-349 - Governor Sir Lugard - 1908 [10-12] — Page 364

COPY

L.0. No.312/08

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712

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358

REG 7 JAN 09

LAND

OFFICE,

HONGKONG, 26th. November, 1908.

t

Sir,

I have the honour to recommend that the sanction

of the Right Honourable Secretary of State for Colonies be

applied for for selling land in the New Territories by pri-

vate treaty instead of by auction as at the present time.

In the Northern District of the New Territories applications

for building lots are of dɛ ly occurrence, The lots are

all small lots suitable only for a Chinese dwelling and

mostly adjoining other houses in the village or in its vi-

cinity.

The premium very rarely exceeds $10. and is usual

-ly much lower and in the case of extension to existing

lots is only about $2. There is never any competition at

the auctions and no interest is taken in the sale except

by the applicants and the lots are therefore knocked down

at the upset price. The cost of advertising in the case

of the small lots almost swallows up any profit that might

be gained from the premium and in the case of very small

agricultural lots the cost of advertising exceeds the pre-

mium. I would therefore recommend that in the case of

building lots in the New Territories apart from New Kowloon

and the shores of Junk Bay sales of areas not exceeding

1,000 square feet should be sold without auction at the

approved rates of Premium and Crown Rent viz: 1 or 2ƒ per

aquare foot and Crown Rent $100 or $50 per acre and in the

case of agricultural lots areas not exceeding 1/8 of an

acre be similarly sold at the approved rates of premium and

Crown Rent viz: 3/4, 1/2 or 1/4 cents per square foot pre- mium and $3., $2 or $1. Crown Rent per acre per annum. The

The Honourable

Mr. F.H.May,C.M.G.,

Colonial Secretary,

&C.

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