+
APPENDIX X
ANNUAL DEPARTMENTAL, REPORT
OF THE
LAND OFFICER
AND
REGISTRAR OF MARRIAGES
HONG KONG
For the Period
1st April 1946-31st March, 1947.
1
•
APPENDIX X
REPORT OF THE LAND OFFICER AND REGISTRAR OF
MARRIAGES FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1946-1947.
1.
Registration.
Part I.-LAND OFFICE.
During the year, 4,228 instruments were registered under the provisions of the Land Registration Ordinance 1844, an increase of 389 compared with 1939, the last year in respect of which figures are avail- able. Assignments and Mortgages were each nearly trebled in number and there was an increase in each other category apart from Judg- ments and Orders of Court in respect of which there was a considerable decrease.
2.
The total number of instruments registered under the provisions of the Ordinance since 1844 excluding 1940 and 1941 was 168,185.
3.
The number of instruments registered during the last 10 years for which figures are available is shown in Table I.
4.
The total consideration on sales, mortgages, surrenders and mis- cellaneous land transactions registered in the Land Office amounted to $124,842,877.39 as against a total of just under $50,000,000.00 in respect of the year 1939. Particulars are shown in Table II and a monthly and categorical analysis in Table III.
5. Crown Leases.
18 Crown Leases were issued during the year as against a total of 497 issued in 1939. Particulars are set out in Table IV. There have been a great many dispositions of Crown Land under Conditions of Grant or Conditions of Sale and these, together with a certain number of Crown Leases, the grant of which was pending at the commence- ment of the occupation, will result in a heavy increase under this head in the succeeding year, without doubt exceeding the figure of 1939.
6. The number of leases effected each year during the last 10 recorded years is shown in Table I.
7. Fees.
The total amount of fees collected (exclusive of the New Terri- tories) amounted to $90,984.30 as against $94,832.- in 1939. Table V shows the Monthly Revenue.
8.
2
Land Registration Fees in the New Territories for 11 months amounted to $14,799.- as against $11,470.90 for 12 months in 1939. Crown Lease fees in the New Territories were nil this year compared with $240.- in 1939.
9.
The total fees collected during the past 10 recorded years is shown in Table VI.
10. 2 surrenders of land required for public purposes were prepared and registered in the Land Office.
11. Stamp Duties.
Stamp Duties paid on registered documents (exclusive of Probates and Letters of Administration) amounted to $1,687.226.81 as against under $270,000 in 1939. The monthly figures can be seen in the last column of Table III.
12. Crown Rents.
The number of lots entered on the Hong Kong and Kowloon Crown Rent Roll was 13,531, an increase of 1,026 over 1939. Table VII is a statement by localities.
13. The Crown Rents on this roll amounted to$786,287.20, an increase on 1939 of $38,317.56.
14. The number of lots entered on the Village Crown Rent Roll as shown by localities in Table VIII was 1,927, a decrease of 10 on the preceding year.
15. The Crown Rents on this roll amounted to $1,297.55, a decrease of $10.25 on the preceding year.
16. The overall increase on Crown Rents was mainly due to the re-granting of lots after re-entry. A very considerable increase will
be reflected in the figures for the succeeding year.
17. During the year the number of sections, the Crown Rents of which were apportioned under the Crown Rents Apportionment Ordinance 1936, was 20 as compared with 370 in 1939 and the total sum of fees collected was $234.- as compared with $4,699.- in 1939.
3
TABLE I.
Number of Instruments and Crown Leases Granted During the
Years 1931 to 1946.
Year
Instruments Registered.
Crown Leases Granted.
1931
6,181
517
1932
6,345
938
1933
5,152
721
1934
4,441
673
1935
4,044
503
1936
3,962
638
1937
3,347
742
1938
3,752
520
1939
3,839
497
1946
4,228
18
TABLE II.
Consideration on Instruments Registered in the Land Office for the period of 1st April, 1946 to 31st March, 1947.
Description of Instruments
Number Registered
|No. of Lots or Portions
of Lots Affected
Potal Consideration.
$
cts.
Assignments
1,629
1,854
64,441,664.07
Mortgages and Transfer of
Mortgages
1,310
1,852
41,012,489.00
Reassignments and Certifi-
cates of Satisfaction ...
681
894
15,530,734.32
Surrenders
2
2
300,000,00
Judgments and Orders of
Court
38
89
30,000.00
Miscellaneous Documents
366
819
1
3,528,000.00
Probates and Letters of
Administration (Estate Duties and Inte
t
$1,069,788.80)
Total:
202
433
4,228
5,943 $124.842,887.39
ASSIGNMENTS
MORTGAGES
4
TABLE III
LAND
OFFICE
Deed Statistic for the period 1st April, 1946 to 31st March, 1947.
REASSIGNMENTS
SURRENDERS
COURT ORDERS
PROBATE
ESTATE VERANDAH RE-ENTRY DUTIES
AGREE- MENTS
DEEDS OF MISCEL- COVENANT | LANEOUS
STAMPS ON DEEDS
PERIOD
Consideration
Consideration
Consideration,
Consideration
Deeds Lots
Deeds Lots
Deeds Lots
Deeds Lots
Deeds Lots Deeds Lots Deeds Lots
Deeds Lots Deeds Lots
Deeds Lots Deeds Lots
cts.
cts.
$
cts.
$
cts.
$
cts.
1946
APR.
105 119
5,804,516.50 75
ཚ
91
1,740,700.00 34 38 2,857,500.00 | 1
300,000.00
6 6
32
1242
39
66
63,762.20
MAY.
141 187
4,254,950.00 105 154 3,495.300.00
43
12
51
1,825,021.00|||| i
4
27
4
4
1
1
5 5
21
34
50,599.70
JUN.
130 153
4,039,865.00 86 120
3,594,600.00 37 41
657,219.70
3
9
11
20
1
1
1
31 36
49,543.60
JUL.
143 157
8,857,570.50 102 131
3,153,500.00 51 63 2,120,334.13
6
6
7
9
3
3
1
1
25
27
100,742.20
AUG.
100 195
8,062,988.52 116 174
4,173,709.00 70 8.1 1,834,375.639
5
14
1.
1
4
8
14
40
51
97,226.25
SEP.
180 197
4,475,611.45 100 216
4,470,100.00 63 75 811,000.00
6
18
14 24
3
4
41 90
53,891.51
OCT.
156 177
8,095,591.00 129 177
4,253,500.00 83 102 829,530.00
3
3
17
46
1
1
1
3
25 62
173,261.51
NOV.
84
00
90
1,961,800.00 103 124
2,722,300.00
53 65
736,000.00
4
4
29
49
2
A
4
10
27 39
95,589.36
DEC.
100 120
2,317,354.00 104. 151
3,091,200.00 66 83
881,650.86
22
44
6
6
24 36
184,759.90
1947
JAN.
140 161
4,836.028.50 126 172
2,141,880.00 30 101 786,300.00
1
1
37
67
FEB.
114 127
3,147,743.60 129 176
3,160,000.00 46 62
864,603.00
1
MAR.
167
171
8,587,645.00 135 166
5,015,700.00 105 129 1,827,200.00
1
2
26
54
ลง
2
2
20
299
237,919.89
34 115
1
1
3
6
20
1
2
3
28
26
146,873.80
36
36
43 433,057.20
TOTAL. 1629 | 1854 64,441,664.07 1310 1852 41,012,489.00 681
894 15,530,734.32 2
2
300,000.00
38 89
202
433
10
11
-
1
44
63
1.
1
310 7431,687,226.81
1
Victoria Inland
Hong Kong.
5
TABLE IV
Crown Leases Granted during the Year 1st April 1946 to
31st March, 1947.
Rural Building
Shek O Inland
Kowloon Inland
Kowloon.
New Kowloon.
Total.
11
2
1
3
1
18
New Kowloon Inland
TABLE V
Return of Monthly Revenue paid in Stamps to the Land Office during the year 1st April, 1946 to 31st March, 1947.
Month
Registra- tion
Searches,
Crown
Copy &
Lease
Total
of Deeds
etc.
Fees
1946
April
4,200.00
1,013.50
Nil
5,213.50
May
5,778.00
1,223.00
240
7,241.00
June
4,872.00
1,307.00
60
6,239.30
July
5,376.00
1,429.00
Nil
6,805.00
August
6,963.00
1,985.50
360
9,308.50
September
7,038.00
1,563.00
60
8,661.00
October
7,260.00
1,725.00
120
9,105.00
November
4.875.00
1,521.00
120
6,516.50
December
5,287.00 1,636.00
Nil
6,923.00
1947
January
.7,521.00
987.50
Nil
8,508.50
February
5,631.00 1,220.50
Nil
6,851.50
March.
7,597.00 1,894.50
120
9,611.50
72,398.00 17,506.50 1,080.00
90,984.30
6
TABLE VI
Fees Collected During the Years 1931 to 1946.
Year
Registra- tion of Deeds.
Searches & Copies of Documents.
Grants of Leases.
Total
$
cts.
$
cts.
$ cts.
$
cts.
1931
94,054.00
7,254.00
17,290.00
118,598.00
1932
98,335.00
8,789.25
44,430.00
151,554.25
1933
81,508.00
8,547.25
36,810.00
126,865.25
1934
67,345.00
6,863.25 35,850.00
110,058.25
1935
61,133.00
6,811.50 25,270.00
93,214.50
1936
59,310.00
6,296.75
33,960.00
99,566.75
1937
47,887.00
8,639.50
39,760.00
96,286.50
1938
54,332.00
10,258.75 27,360.00
91,950.75
1939
57,729.00 11,433.00
25,670.00
94,832.00
1946
72,398.00 17,506.30 1,080.00
90,984.30
7
TABLE VII
Hong Kong and Kowloon Rent Roll.
Locality and Description.
No. of Lots. Total Crown Rent.
$
cts.
· Victoria Marine Lots..
478
69,252.00
77
Praya Reclamation Marine Lots
28
858.91
Inland Lots
5,666
**
256,459.92
Quarry Bay Marine Lots.....
4
Inland Lots..
13
11
Victoria Farm Lots....
6
18,948.00 4,024.00
381.55
Garden Lots.....
71
Rural Building Lots..
326
21
2,832.00 63,216.41
Aberdeen Marine Lots...
7
576.52
Inland Lots..
86
Aplichau Marine Lots..
20
1,268.97
113.88
Inland Lots.....
48
283.48
Shaukiwan Marine Lots.
10
2,308.00
Inland Lots...
234
5,109.30
++
Stanley Inland Lots..
10
147.00
Pokfulam Dairy Farm Lots.....
4
2,712.00
Kowloon Marine Lots..
55
50,930.82
Inland Lots.....
3,507
154,191.17
"J
Garden Lots.....
1
1.00
**
Hung Hom Marine Lots..
4
Hung Hom Inland Lots.
205
9,130.00 9,303.00
Shek O Inland Lots.....
24
145.00
Tai Tam Inland Lots...
Tong Po Inland Lots....
New Kowloon Marine Lots....
1
1.00
1
1.00
3
18,938.00
Inland Lots....
2,618
86,956.27
**
Farm Lots....
2
36.00
Rural Building Lots.
1
42.00
"
11
Tai Po Inland Lots.
9
748.00
Fan Ling Lots.....
2
1,892.00
Sheung Shui Lots...
13
3,512.00
Mining Lots....
4
2,724.00
Tsun Wan Marine Lots..
6
12,436.00
Inland Lots..
16
3,076.00
New Kowloon Dairy Farm Lots.
20
1,192.00
Tsing I Marine Lots..................
1
76.00
Ping Shan Inland Lots.....
8
2,162.00
Sai Kung Inland Lots....
1
302.00
Total.....
13,513
786,287.20
8
TABLE VIII
Village Rent Roll.
Locality and Description.
Aberdeen
Pokfulam
Tai Hang
Ah Kung Ngam
Shaukiwan
Hau Pui Loong
Wong Tsuk Hang
Tai Hang Stream Tong Po Tytam Tuk
Chung Hom Bay
Chinese Joss House
Bowen Road Victoria Telegraph Bay
Little Hong Kong
Shek O
Hok Tsui
Chai Wan
Stanley
Total
+
No. of Lots.
Total Crown Rent.
$ cts.
14
43.50
24
28.25
156
632.50
25
18.25
27
15.00
11
43.00
2
34.50
11
42.00
1
2.50
3
2.50
1
.50
1
3.00
11
33.00
176
68.10
310
64.00
123
26.80
721
125.80
310
114.35
1,927
1,297.55
PART II.—MARRIAGE REGISTRY.
1.
Marriages.
The number of Marriages celebrated in the Colony during the Year (1.4.46-31.3.47) was 860 (of which 658 were between Chinese persons) as compared with 781 (and 579) respectively in 1939-an increase of 89. Particulars are given in Table I infra.
Fees.
2. The total amount of Fees received under the second schedule of the Marriage Ordinance 1875, was $9,691.00 as compared with $7,439.00 in 1939-an increase of $2,252.00. Particulars are shewn in Table II. The increase is mainly accounted for by the greater num- ber of marriages solemnised at the Office of the Registrar.
3. The number of Marriages solemnised and the total amount of fees collected each year during the ten years (1931-1939 & 1946) are shewn in Table III.
9
TABLE I
(1) Marriages by Special Licence, 51.
(a) At Licensed Place of Public Worship
10.
(b) At the Office of the Registrar. of Marriages
41.
(2) Marriages by Registrar's Certificate, 809.
(a) At Licensed Place of Public Worship
(b)
At the Office of the Registrar of Marriages
577.
232.
TABLE II.
Fees Received During the Period of 1.4.46-31.3.47.
Fée.
Total Fees.
$ cts.
831 Certificates of Notices
(Registrar's Certificates)
@ $ 1.00
831.00
'80 Certified Copies
@ $ 1.00
80.00
9 Licences to Registrar of Mar- riages to issue his Certificates under Section 9 of Ordinance No. 7 of 1875
@ $10.00
50 Special Licence
1 Special Licence
@ $50.00
90.00
2,500.00
618 Marriages at the Office of the
@Reduced fee by H. E. the Governor.
Registrar
@ $10.00
Total
10.00
6.180.00
$9,691.00
10
TABLE III.
Fees Collected and Marriages Solemnized 1931 to 1946.
Year
No. of Marriages Solemnized.
Total Amount of Fees
Collected.
$
cts.
1931
228
2,705.00
1932
265
3,198.97
1933
283
2,440.00
1934
325
3,327.90
1935
368
3,197.00
1936
375
3,168.00
1937
421
3,286.16
1938
544
5,081.00
1939
781
7,439.00
1946
860
9,691.00
Part III-STAFF.
Mr. William Aneurin Jones was appointed Land Officer with effect from 1st May, 1946, the date of resumption of Civil Government, and Registrar of Marriages with effect from 18th September, 1946, and continued in those capacities during the remainder of the year.
Mr. C. D'Almada acted as Assistant Land Officer and Deputy Registrar of Marriages until 1st October, 1946.
Mr. J. M. Hall acted as Temporary Assistant Land Officer and Deputy Registrar of Marriages from 1st May, 1946 to 31st March, 1947.
Mr. G. L. Herdman acted as Temporary Assistant Land Officer and Deputy Registrar of Marriages with effect from 10th March, 1947.
Sd. E. H. SAINSBURY,
Land Officer (Ag.) & Registrar
of Marriages (Ag.).
30th June, 1947.