THE EDITOR'S
PAGE
WHY NOT A BUILDING SOCIETY FOR HONG KONG
On page 61 of this issue, we report on a building development in Singa- pore designed to provide residences to accommodate middle-class wage- earners. The scheme, as we under- stand it, will enable the prospective purchasers to obtain either a bunga- low or a two-storey house in a ter- race on payment of about $85.00 a month over a period of fifteen years. The finance for this project will be provided by the Federal and Colonial Housing Building Society and, as we are informed by the Editor of the "Straits Times," this Building Society is an agency of the Colonial Develop- ment Corporation, which in turn is an agency of the British Government.
If our memory is not at fault, a proposal was made some time ago to use the funds of the Colonial Deve- Jopment Corporation for the purpose of erecting, among other things, quarters for married service men, but for some reason this was turned down.
We feel that conditions which warrant the use of funds from this Colonial Development Corporation for the amelioration of living conditions of lower income groups in Singapore are just as pressing and as urgently required in this Colony, and that the activities of the Federal and Colonial Housing Building Society or a similar organization should be extended to assist our working classes here.
Mr. John Burgess of the Building Society in Singapore gave an address to the Singapore Rotary Club on 1st November. The Financial Editor of the "Singapore Standard," in report- ing the speech, said: "If employers in this country will come forward and furnish guarantees for the sum ad- vanced by a building society in ex- cess of its normal maximum, every worker in settled employment can own a house.”
This suggestion raises new hopes for the working class in Malaya, and below we reproduce part of Mr. Burgess' address:
"Firstly let me explain that build- ing societies are very simple in opera- tion-all they need is money and normal protection for their money. Money in itself does not achieve any- thing but needs to be used, and the building societies use their money for housing.
"Today in Singapore, we face an acute housing shortage mainly be- cause we enjoy the benefits
of an increased and ever-increasing popula- tion and we suffer from the retarda- tion brought about by enemy occupa- tion, followed by insidious Communis- tic filtration.
*Communism is bred from discon- tent and the doctrine of Communism finds a ready field in any community where the standard of living and housing is below the expectation and the needs of the people.
THE LATE MR. D. E. HINDMARSH
It is with deepest regret that we have to record the death of the well- known architect, Mr. Desmond E. Hindmarsh, who died suddenly on
8th August, 1951. He was a member of the firm of Leigh & Orange with whom he had been associated since the reoccupation of Hong Kong and although a comparatively young man, he was only 38 years of age when he died, enjoyed the reputation of being an architect of imagination and ori- ginality.
His talents were conspicuously out- standing in the field of decorative design; his bold conception of the use of colour and his expert know- ledge and application of new mate- rials had made him. a leading ex- ponent of architectural design in the modern manner. In addition, he was an artist of outstanding merit in his own right and there is no doubt that it was to this accomplishment that he for owed his flair
unconventional beauty.
"We must all not only stand firm against, but defeat, this insidious in- filtration upon the liberties of a free people. The building societies' con- tribution will be to encourage the construction of more and more houses.
"I believe that one of the most stabilising effects on any nation or community is home ownership; every family who own their own home have a very positive stake in the country and they become people who accept the responsibility of citizenship and who enjoy the privileges of private ownership. Let us, therefore, make sure tha we make full use of our building societies.
"Building societies have their limi- tations. They need money, lots of money, and the money needs adequate protection or else new money will not be forthcoming."
It is about time, with news of what has been accomplished in Singapore, that we here in Hong Kong took active steps along similar lines.
WE REGRET ΤΟ AN- NOUNCE THAT OWING TO PRESSURE OF WORK IT HAS BEEN IMPOSSIBLE FOR PRO- FESSOR GORDON BROWN, OF THE HONG KONG UNIVERSITY, TO UNDERTAKE THE EDITOR- SHIP OF THIS PUBLICATION AS HAD BEEN ANNOUNCED SOME TIME AGO.
Union Building. A more important monument to his ability is the house which he built for himself, full de- tails of which are given in this issue.
Mr. Hindmarsh, who was educated at Bishop Telison Grammar School, England, came to Hong Kong from Shanghai about 15 years ago to join Messrs. Davies, Brooke and Gran. lar among a large circle of acquain- He very soon became extremely popu-
tances and friends.
He was one of the original mem- bers of the pre-war Hong Kong Naval Defence Force and rose to the rank of lieutenant. He served with the and was interned by the Japanese at HKNVF during the 1941 hostilities
Shamshuipo and Argyle Street
camps.
We extend our deepest condolences to his wife who has just arrived back A small but outstanding example in Hong Kong, and to his mother who of his originality is his treatment of is in England. The architectural the new frontage and offices for the profession in Hong Kong is the poorer P.A.L. on the Chater Road side of for his passing.
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