ENG-1963 — Page 19

4

REVIEW

roads and reservoirs, for parks, playgrounds, shops and houses, for harbours, piers and ports. The importance of land makes the policy adopted for its administration the concern of all.

THE SEARCH BEGINS

To the merchants sheltering in the waters off Hong Kong Island in 1839 the steep, uninhabited, rock-strewn foreshore must have appeared uninviting; none could have foreseen the trans- formation to be wrought by enterprise, hard work and freedom. But, when the island was formally ceded in January 1841, the scramble for land started at once.

On 1st May 1841 Captain Elliot issued a public notice setting out 'the principles and conditions upon which allotments of land will be made pending Her Majesty's further pleasure'. The number of lots sold was to be limited to the 'actual public wants' and each lot put up to 'auction at a certain upset rate of quit rent and to be disposed of to the highest bidder' with a condition requiring a 'building of a certain value'. No arrangement was to be made with the local inhabitants in actual occupancy of land except through the Government. In the event the Government offered some 33 marine lots totalling nine acres for sale, the upset price per annum being £10 a lot, and there was considerable competi- tion, the prices reaching an average of £350 an acre a year and totalling £3,032 a year.

Even at the time, the prices realized must have disturbed the community since on 17th June we find Elliot in Macau writing to Messrs Jardine Matheson and Company and Messrs Dent and Company that his object was 'to secure to firms and all other persons, British and foreigners, having permanent interests in the country, sufficient space for their necessities, at moderate rates, with as little competition as might enable parties to accommodate themselves according to their respective wants' and on 15th October 1841 the following notice was issued:

'With reference to the Public Notice and Declaration under date the 1st May 1841 it is now found desirable that persons applying for lots of land for the purpose of building upon, should be at once accommodated upon terms which will be made known to them by application in person to the Land Officer'.