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Its sister paper, Sing Tao Wan Pao (14.8.74) also urged the Government to expand vocational education in Hong Kong positively, "as most of the people rely on the industries for their livelihood."
CLOSURE OF CHINA MAIL
Hong Kong's oldest newspaper, the China Mail, ceased publication as from August 17 because of financial difficulties. Four Chinese papers commented editorially on the closure of the paper.
I
General Reaction
Kung Sheung Yat Po (17.8.74), Ming Pao (18.8.74), Sing Tao Jih Pao (19.8.74) and Hong Kong Times (20.8.74) unanimously expressed their regret and sympathy towards the closure.
Ming Pao, Sing Tao Jih Pao and Hong Kong Times emphasized that the China Mail was a newspaper 'that spoke for the public of Hong
Kong.
Sing Tao Jih Pao described the closure as a 'loss to Hong Kong' while Hong Kong Times termed it as 'a loss to the press.
"The paper had made efforts to bridge the culture and civilizations between East and West and to fight against corruption, Ming Pao said.
Sing Tao Jih Pao observed that the reports and editorials of the China Mail had attained a high standard.
II
Financial Difficulties of the Paper
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Kung Sheung Evening News stated that the end of the China Mail reflected that the economic situation of Hong Kong was not as good as the Government thought.
The paper cited the following to support its argument:
(1) the United States' plans to restrict imports and raise
taxation and this would affect Hong Kong seriously since America is Hong Kong's major market.
(2) Hong Kong's exports to Britain have ceased to enjoy preferential
treatment following Britain's entry into the European Economic Community.
(3) there is a recession in Hong Kong's tourist industry.
"The China Mail ceased publication following financial difficulties. Similar hardship is being experienced by many other local commercial and industrial firms," it pointed out.
The paper urged the Government to adopt some positive measures to help those trades which are hard-hit.
Both Ming Pao and Sing Tao Jih Pao attributed the cause of the paper's financial difficulties to the rising cost of paper', 'a drop in circulation' and a 'reduction in advertising income.
III Dispute over Severance Pay
Both Sing Tao Jih Pao and Hong Kong Times hoped that the management and the employees could reach a compromise as soon as possible.