CO129-462 - Governor Sir Stubbs - 1920 [7-10] — Page 154

To the Right Honourable

VISCOUNT MILNER P. C., G. C. B., G. C. M. G.

H. M. Secretary of State for the Colonies

&c., &c., &0.

The Humble Petition of the undersigned Land Bailiffe, New Territories, Hongkong.

SHEWETH as follows:-

144

1. Your Petitioners are the three Land Bailiffe, Burford, Chambers and Hollands, attached to the District Officer's Depart- ment in charge of the land of the New Territories, Hongkong.

2. The New Territories comprise about 400 square miles of mountainous country and cultivated valleys, including many Islands and Inlets of the Sea: the cultivated lands are sub- divided into many thousands of very small holdings under Crown] Leases, and the uncultivated hills are mainly Crown Land for the use of which permits of many descriptions are issued by the District Land Officers: the Territories are developing rapidly and your Petitioners' work is daily increasing in importance and quantity. The Revenue received from New Territories in 1919 exceeded $378,000.

3.

The European staff of the District Land Office consista of the District Land Officer, the Assistant District Land Officer (South) and your three Petitioners, two of whom are in charge of the Northern Territory and are stationed at Taipo (N.E.) and Au Tau (N.W.) respectively, and the third is at Kowloon in charge of the Southern Territory.

4.

The duties of your Petitioners are very responsible and arduous, as the country is extremely rough and the communica- tions, with the exception of the one main road (Kowloon, Taipo,