days". He rejected their request! The representatives upbraided him for
absurdity: "Increase of rent should apply to all, and only to the transfers.
Let us ask: What is the difference between no body taking up the transfer
and transfer not allowed? This is obviously cheating on the part of the
Housing Department, openly snatching and grabbing the blood and capital of
the week small-scale factory. Even a small boy of 3 feet high can easily
notice their motives.
14. Comparison of Costs.
The authorities made investment in factory resettlement
buildings (16 years ago) at $500,000.00 per block (computing 5 storeys per
block in Sun Po Kong District). The factory owners for every block were
forced to invest in the building over $900,000.00. The investment of the
factory owners is 2 times more than that of the authorities (without taking
into account the loss incurred in the demolition and removal). The authorities
has collected rent for 16 years, having received a total amount of over 5
million dollars, being more than 10 times the original cost. $500,000.00
per block, after 16 years- how much will be the depreciation value ?
According to cost accounting, how much rent to be collected is then reasonable?
Is it apt for the Housing Department to swollow up the capital of re-investment
under force in the construction of factory buildings of factory owners?
15. Industry is the source of living for Hong Kong
Hong Kong has a population of five million, with no production
of material and the yearly production of food being insufficient for one day's
consumption. All material and food are from imports. The monthly consumption:
in average is over three hundred millions dollars. Now according to the notice
of the Labour Department, the number of workers is about 800,00. But actually
number is beyond that. In Hong Kong as well as in Kowloon, not few home
factories are in operation without a licence, and therefore no investigation
into such can be conducted.
Recently enquiries have been made into the
industry, operated at wooden huts and it has been found that the number is
about 10,000. The number of workers there should be around 60,000 to 70,000.