CO129-587-8 Crown leases 18-4-1940 - 17-3-1941 — Page 65

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MEMORANDUM BY THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY ON THE REPORT ON SEVENTY-FIVE YEAR CROWN LEASES, RECEIVED FROM THE HONG KONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

65

It is presumed in the letter and report that these

leases were standard leases granted between the years 1880-

1898 (approximately) and that before this period the normal

term of lease was for 999 years and that since 1898 standard

leases have been issued for seventy-five years renewable (on

conditions which will be examined later) for a further seventy-

five years, so that the seventy-five year leaseholders are

alleged to find themselves in an invidious position in comparison

with both earlier and later leaseholders otherwise similarly

situated. The position is not as described. 999 years

remained the normal term for building lots in urban areas until

the standard term of lease was reduced as a result of lir.

Jospeh Chamberlain's instructions in his despatches No.132 of

23rd May, 1898, and No. 320 of 9th December, 1898. The

seventy-five year leases were confined to lots in the hill

district and Kowloon, then a village, and other non-urban areas.

This is clearly indicated on pages 19 and 28 of the report from

the Land Commission of 1886-7, to which the Chamber of Commerco's

report makes frequent reference. There are in existence

1,344 such lots distributed as follows :

Hong Kong Island.

Lower Levels

Hill District

107 76

Mainland

Kowloon

1,160

New Kowloon

1

(Rural Building Lot)