ENG-1956 — Page 355

CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION

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The Fire Brigade, under a Chief Officer, provides fire protection throughout the urban areas (including shipping in the harbour) and the main districts of the New Territories. The Brigade is a highly trained service comprising 596 officers and other ranks who run and maintain 46 land fire appliances, a fleet of 3 fire boats and 18 ambulances. The Stores Department, under a Controller, buys and distributes Government stores, manufactures and repairs all furniture for offices and quarters, and administers the Government monopoly of sand. The Printing Department is responsible for all Government publications, most of which are produced entirely in the Department itself. The Quartering Authority deals with accommodation for Civil Servants and for Govern- ment Departments.

New Territories Administration. The New Territories are divided into three administrative districts; Yuen Long in the north-west, Tai Po in the north-east, and the Southern District, which besides the southern and south-east part of the mainland includes Lantao, Cheung Chau, Lamma and the other islands around Hong Kong. Each district is administered by a District Officer, stationed at Ping Shan, Tai Po and Kowloon respectively, but the special needs of Lantao Island are provided for by a small sub-district office at Mui Wo, which was opened on 15th October, 1955. Another District Officer, stationed at the headquarters of the administration, is responsible for liaison with central govern- ment departments and the co-ordination of all routine work. The District Commissioner, with an office in Kowloon and official residence near Tai Po, co-ordinates the overall adminis- tration of the New Territories. There is now a Resident Magistrate, who is a legal officer, for the New Territories. District Officers hold land and small-debt courts, and arbitrate in all kinds of disputes, including family and matrimonial cases; they control Crown land and buildings, register documents and deeds relating to private land, assess and collect stamp duty, and administer a vote for small public