ENG-1951 — Page 102

The strong demand for land and houses noted in last year's Report continued throughout 1951, and the Land Office had in consequence another busy year, a total of 6,600 instruments being registered. The total of the considerations expressed in instruments registered in the financial year 1950-1 was some 14% lower than in 1949-50, but still amounted to the huge figure of $245,000,000. The decline in property values which began in early 1950 was arrested in the late summer of 1951, since when there has been a marked hardening of prices. On the other hand, and possibly reflecting the trend of property values, the usual rate of interest for private mortgages appears to have fallen slightly. Mortgage interest rates are, however, still very high as compared with normal rates in other countries, usually varying between $13 and $17 per $1,000 per month, i.e. between 15% and 20% per annum.

In addition to the registration of instruments affecting land, the Land Office issues Crown leases (146 in 1951) and deals with sales, exchanges, surrenders and resumption of land.

Marriage Registry

Marriage in the Colony is governed by the provisions of the Marriage Ordinance which applies to all marriages solemnized here except non-Christian customary marriages. Under this Ordinance formal notice in writing must be given at the Registry in every case, the marriage then taking place on the authority of the certificate of the Registrar of Marriages after the lapse of a 15-day period of notice prescribed by law, or upon a special licence issued by the Governor. The marriage may be solemnized in any church or place of worship which is licensed for that purpose, by any competent minister of the church, denomination or body to which such place of worship belongs, or it may take place as a civil marriage in the Registry.

In recent years there has been increased appreciation amongst all classes of the Chinese community of the advantages of a properly recorded marriage celebrated in accordance with the formalities prescribed by the Marriage Ordinance, and of the total of 2,092 marriages registered during the year, 1,796 were between persons of Chinese race-1,578 taking place at the Registry, and the remaining 218 in licensed places of worship. Of the 296 non-Chinese marriages 182 were in licensed places of worship and 114 at the Registry.

Marriages of Chinese taking place at the Registry being often the prelude to more elaborate ceremonies prescribed by custom, a variety of ceremonial dress is often in evidence there, full European formal dress being adopted in some cases whilst others follow the colourful Chinese traditional style, the bride and women relatives being attired in elaborate gowns of red and black heavily embroidered in gold and

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