CO129-627-1 Economic and social survey- new territories 1-2-1950 - 31-7-1951 — Page 24

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Notes of a meeting held in Room 620, Sanct-

uary Buildings on the 4th April 1950, present Messrs Hall (Hong Kong and Pacific Dept) Nicoll

Barrow and Surridge.

Economic Survey of Cultivatȧrs in the

New Territories, Hong Kong.

It was agreed that it was desirable that the survey

should be carried out by local investigators the

view expressed by the Governor in his letter to r

Paskin dated the 13th February- and that Mr Paul Tsui should be detailed to take charge of the survey.

Mr Barrow had already reported to the Colonial Sec- retary, Hong Kong in his memorandum of the 21st Feb- ruary that Frofessor Benhamn supported this view. It was necessary to find out in the New Territories details of Land Tenure, indebtedness including the

incidence of mortgage debt,income of the cultivators

from their agricultural operations and other sources,

crops and methods of marketing, grazing and grass

cutting rights, and any other factors, affecting the

life and work of the cultivators which Mr Tsui may

decide should be examined.Cross checks on the infor-

mation obtained about holdings would have to be made

in the District Land registry Offices.

Mr Barrow said that the survey would cover from 600

to 800 villages and hamlets and approximately 200,000

people. The time required would be about 12 months.

It was thought that a copy of the Survey of Kural Life in Cyprus might be of use as a source for reference and that if a spare copy was available it should be sent to Hong Kong.If it is not available the following Parts of the questionnaire at the end of the Survey shoula be copied:

Debts, Usury, Mortgages, Agriculture, Holdings and Labour.A copy of Professor Fir th's investigation

into the life and work of the Kelantan fishermen

should also be sent.