Sessional_Paper_1906 — Page 663

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The large area in the New Territory (339.93 acres) comprised 300 acres let on a Farm Lot lease, the remainder being Inland and Marine Lots, in connection with the establish- ment of a flour mill by the Hongkong Milling Co., Ld.

The sales without auction included a large area of sea-bed (264,000 square feet) in front of Kowloon Marine Lot 49; a lot at Aberdeen (3,180 square feet) for a Roman Catholic School; a re-adjustment of the boundaries of Inland Lot 1610 in Bridges Street. (326 square feet) and a small extension (230 square feet) for a District Watchmen's house in Third Street.

The extensions granted comprised an area of 3,556 square feet for Inland Lot 1518 on Macdonnell Road; an area of 1,696 square feet for Inland Lot 1703, on which a naphtha godown has been erected at Kennedy Town; two small areas, totalling 181 square feet, for Aberdeen Inland Lots 68 and 76 and a small area (231 square feet) occupied by an encroachment in connection with Rural Building Lot 96 on Mount Kellett. In Kowloon two large extensions (15,125 square feet and 54,294 square feet respectively) occurred owing to the inclusion in Kowloon Marine Lots 74 and 75 of the areas intended for a roadway in front of these lots. This was done under special arrangements with the lessees whereby they undertook to defray the cost of the resumption of certain areas for widening Salisbury Road to 100 feet in width. In the remaining case, an area of 5,500 square feet was added to Kowloon Inland Lot 423 in connection with a readjustment of that lot to enable Reclamation Street to be formed between Dundas and Soy Streets.

The Grants on nominal terms were an area of 42,000 square feet (Marine Lot 290) at North Point for the Royal Hongkong Yacht Club and an area of 43,550 square feet (Kowloon Inland Lot 1164) near Ma Tan Wai for a cemetery.

The Grants on short leases consisted of an area of cultivated land at Pokfulam (Garden Lot 25-area 23,300 square feet) formerly held under squatter's licence and now let on a 5-years' lease; an area of 1,125 square feet reserved for formation of a public lane at Shaukiwan Lot 402, but not at present required for that purpose; an area of 395 square feet adjoining Inland Lot 1,836, for the erection of a small pump in connection with the large reservoir for Quarry Bay Sugar Refinery, let on an annual lease; two small areas in Kowloon let on an annual lease for a cracker factory; an area of 37 acres in the New Territory, near Tsun Wan, let on a 5-years' lease as a pleasure garden; and another arca of 3.4 mows of land, also in the New Territory, let for purposes of cultivation.

The permits to occupy land for short periods were of a very miscellaneous character and too numerous to admit of individual mention. Generally, they were issued quarterly and the areas dealt with were small,

The extensions of short leases to 75 years' lenses were in connection with 22 Lots in the neighbourhood of Mongkoktsui originally held under squatters' licences. The Squatters" Board awarded the licensees short leases and these have since been converted into long leases on payment of a premium and additional Crown Rent.

3. Resumptions & Re-adjustments.--In connection with the scheme for constructing main thoroughfares in Kowloon, numerous resumptions and re-adjustments of Lots were effected. Altogether 15 Lots were dealt with, the total area resumed amounting to 114,941 square feet. The resumptions of land required for the railway south of the Kow- loon Range of Hills were also undertaken by this Department; those to the north being carried out by the Assistant Land Officer for the Northern District.

4. Lease Plans.-Plans and particulars (in duplicate) of 50 Lots were furnished to the Land Office in connection with the issue of leases.

5. Boundary Stones.-Boundary stones were fixed for 11 Lots in Hongkong, 18 Lots in Kowloon and 1 Lot in the New Territory.

6. Sites for Booths at the Race Course. A sum of $2,811.05 was realized by the letting of sites for the erection of booths and stands at Happy Valley during the Race Meeting.