Sessional_Paper_1905 — Page 211

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LAND COURT,

TAI PO, 18th February, 1905.

SIR,I have the honour to submit the following report of the work done by me as Member of the Land Court.

2. On March 2nd, 1904, I was appointed a Member of the Land Court, and from that date I commenced Land Court duties in addition to those of Assistant Land Officer for the New Territories. The Land Office staff of two Bailiffs, one Interpreter and four copying clerks, was increased by six copying clerks in order to accelerate the settlement of claims.

3. The first work undertaken was the hearing and decision of claims (called "A" claims) to land and water which had not been surveyed and plotted on the cadastral maps.

The total number of these A claims dealt with by me was 360. They related to land throughout the whole of the New Territory with the excep- tion of New Kowloon and the islands on the West and South of the mainland. These claims were heard at Tai Po, Sha Tau Kok, Sai Kung and Ping Shan. The claimants in every case were summoned to attend. A report containing decisions and recommendations has already been forwarded to the Government.

4. After the "A" claims to undemarcated land had been dealt with, the claims to surveyed land were taken up. The Districts dealt with by me extended over the whole of the mainland of the New Territory with the exception of New Kowloon, Tsun Wan and Un Long. The land had been surveyed partly on a scale of 16 inches to the mile, and partly on a scale of 32 inches to the mile. The 16- inch scale being too small to show houses, the houses in Districts surveyed on this scale were numbered only and not plotted on the maps.

5. The number of Districts dealt with by me on the 16-inch scale was 33. The number of lots 46,862 with an area of 10,030.38 acres, and the number of Districts on the 32-inch scale 240 with 139,445 lots of an area of 9,276.64 acres, The total number of Districts being 273, the total number of lots 186,307 with an area of 19,307.02 acres. In addition to the above houses in 67 unsurveyed village sites, consisting of 5,937 buildings were dealt with.

6. For dealing with these claims I established my head quarters at Tai Po where the clerical staff continued to reside, and visits were made to the Police Stations at Sai Kung, Sha Tau Kok and Sheung Shui when claims to land in those Districts were investigated.

7. The taxlord question which affected a large proportion of the mainland had to be settled first. The status of the taxlord under Chinese law was entirely illegal. The claims of taxlords were disallowed, but in some case grants of Crown land were offered them as compensation for loss of income. It was also decided to exclude from leases and rent rolls, sloping dry cultivation of a shifting nature to which the occupiers had no valid title.

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8. The Land Court was also instructed to prepare leases and Crown Rent Rolls. For which purpose the rate of Crown Rent was fixed at $3, $2 and $1 an acre for agricultural land and 50 cents and $1 for houses. The land in the Dis- tricts dealt with by me was classified according to the above rates.

9. Schedules for the 273 Districts and 67 villages have been prepared and are ready for the Governor's signature to convert them into leases. These Schedules shew the decisions and recommendations for each plot of land as well as the amount of Crown Rent.

10. From the above Schedules "A" rent roll books have been prepared. These A rent roll books show together all of each Crown Lessee's holdings wherever they may be. For the Districts dealt with by me 111 A books of 200 leaves each were required.