9
Wednesday, February 9, 1972
ESSENTIAL TO ENLARGE URBAN COUNCIL FRANCHISE
To Arouse Public Interest In Local Affairs
*******
The Hon. Wilfred Wong said today that the enlargement of the
franchise of the Urban Council was essential to arouse public interest
in local affairs.
Supporting the motion before the Legislative Council to adopt
the White Paper on the Urban Council, he said that not only the categories
for qualifications should be increased but additional voting stations
should be established in the proper localities for the convenience of the
residents of the area.
On Standing Orders, Mr. Wong believed that the Urban Council
should be allowed to make their own standing orders, just as commercial
firms were allowed to make their own by-laws.
He said the wiggest contribution the White Paper had made was
in the field of finance.
"It is an essential principle that for organizations which spend
money, they must also receive their own revenue, thereby establishing a
co-relation between revenue and expenditure."
He added that the attainment of substantial financial autonomy
would be in a form of a separate rate to be given to the council and would
be off-set by a corresponding reduction in the present general rate.
There had been no appreciable increase in the functions of the
Urban Council except for some new licensing duties which were environmental
in character, such as liquor licensing, cinemas, bowling alleys, skating
rinks, billiard saloons, barber shops and pingpong saloons, he said.
/"However,