1.
TRANSLATION
ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE WORLD OF
FOUR THOUSAND INDUSTRIAL UNITS
PERSECUTED BY THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT
Developing industry to save Hong Kong from disaster
Prior to 1949, the economical source of origin for Hong Kong
was mainly the transit trade of import and export.
Following the abrupt
change of the international situation, the transit of goods was at a
standstill and the social economy was at the margin of collapse. In
addition, with the influx of over one million refugees, the authorities
was at a loss and in a state of flurry and embarrassment. Fortunately
among the refugees there were quite a number of men in the field of
industry and commerce, who developed industry hand in hand with those
in the industrial and commercial circles of llong Kong, but were afflicted
with anxiety for lack of factory buildings and equipments.
The authorities
allowed those who were willing to be industrialists to lease deserted
land for the construction of factory buildings (adopting the tactic of
lease for initial period of one year and then renewal upon expiration of
the lease) and to use dwellings, village houses, etc. as factories. The
Fire Department, Labour Department and the Commerce and Industry Department
one after the other issued licences. Luckily enough, with the cooperation
of several hundred thousands of workers, and furthermore the factory
owners busying themselves with drudgery from morning till night, copying
management with great pains, undergoing hardship by bleeding and perspira-
tion, highway of industry was finally fought out. Today, the industry of
Hong Kong is well known to the whole world, resulting in the land as
precious as gold and further creating countless super-millionaires.
what have the mini-industrialists and the workers gained? The increase
of value of the land sacrificed our factory buildings!
But
2. The mercenary policy of raising land prices reverting factory land to
the Government led to the birth of factory buildings
In Hong Kong, with an area of less than 400 sq. mls., the
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