it possible to achieve very attractive rents for the accommodation pro- vided. Each tenant has a self-contained flat consisting of a room, balcony, kitchen with sink, draining board, cooking shelf, and a toilet with shower entered from the balcony. Buildings have been so planned on the site as to retain a number of fully grown trees and these together with thoughtful colouring of courtyards and buildings, give a pleasant overall effect which will be an encouragement to tenants to take a pride in their homes and their surroundings. A recreation centre and a parade of 19 shops are included. For the one kindergarten provided, 205 applications were received, once again illustrating the demand for this type of accommodation, arising from the importance attached to the welfare of small children.
REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE
136. The whole of the North Point Estate was redecorated externally at a cost of $396,052.76, thus enabling this Estate to continue to set a standard of good husbandry in the neighbourhood.
137. The contract with Messrs. Luen Sang Construction Co. for general maintenance was extended for a period of twelve months.
HOUSING MANAGERS IN TRAINING
138. The foregoing paragraphs in this section illustrate the need for a carefully selected staff who must be properly equipped if the high standard of management expected by the Authority is to be achieved. The expansion of the Authority's own programme by the addition of 6,800 tenancies during 1962-63, nearly doubling its present number, together with the undertaking to manage Government's low cost housing programme, provides a challenge which will test the ingenuity of all concerned.
139. During the year interviewing boards have taken considerable care to ensure that only those recruits who are likely to stand up to this arduous but interesting work are selected. Proposals are under con- sideration to provide a more clearly defined progression in a career in housing management.
140. Plans are in embryo to provide a closer supervision of practical work. An experimental course of one week was arranged to introduce a new intake of Housing Assistants to the background of their work before taking up their appointments. This proved valuable and will be repeated when circumstances permit. Any scheme of training, sound
24