public were damaging rather than helping their cause, and a realization that increasing supplies were coming in from overseas. It, no doubt, also reflected the efforts being made in Kwangtung to restore the appearance of normality before the opening of the Canton Fair, scheduled to open on 15th October but in fact postponed until 15th November.
95. By the middle of November food supplies from China had still not returned to the pre-disturbance level, but prices of fresh food, subject to normal seasonal variations, had largely returned to those prevailing in May 1967. The position was then further affected by the devaluation of sterling by the United Kingdom Government, followed by the devaluation and subsequent revaluation of the Hong Kong dollar. It was some days before prices settled down after this fresh disturbance; the change in exchange parities increased the food index by about two points.
CHAPTER 8
THE NEW TERRITORIES
96. Unlike the urban areas, the New Territories had remained comparatively quiet during May and early June. Apart from the industrial complex of Tsuen Wan, the area is predominantly rural, the communist influence is less manifest and there are few hooligans to fan the flames of unrest. The leaders of the New Territories Heung Yee Kuk (a body which exercises the functions of a rural consultative council) came out strongly in support of the Government and the main- tenance of law and order; although there were some demonstrations and display of posters in the market towns these were on a minor scale. There were also disturbances at Tsuen Wan but, except in the area of the land frontier with China, there was no violence at all comparable with that in the urban areas.
97. The northern boundary of the New Territories marches with that of China, extending from Deep Bay in the West to the village of Sha Tau Kok in the East. Since 1956, when waves of immigration from China threatened to swamp the limited resources of the Colony, the border has been closed. Controlled crossings are permitted at Lo Wu, which is the border station on the Kowloon-Canton railway and the check point for passengers entering or leaving the Colony, and at the road
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