REVIEW OF THE YEAR
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A tripartite delegation, representing Government, em- ployers and labour, attended the Asian Technical Conference Vocational Training for Industry, organized by the International Labour Organization and held in Rangoon from 28 November to 8 December.
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ADMINISTRATION
The Governor, Sir Alexander Grantham, G.C.M.G., was due to retire late in the year. His Excellency has been Governor of Hong Kong since 1947, the normal term of office being five years. Sir Alexander's term was extended by two years from July 1952, and for another year from July 1954, which made his the longest governorship in the Colony's history. Early in 1955 the realization of his impending departure gave rise to a colony-wide petition to the Secretary of State for the Colonies for a further extension of his term of office. The signatories to the petition included many of the Colony's principal associations and chambers of commerce, representing all communities and interests.
The Secretary of State, the Right Hon. Alan Lennox- Boyd, M.P., visited Hong Kong in July, on the first stage of a tour of British territories in East Asia, and on the point of departure, on Queen's Pier, produced loud cheers when he announced a further extension of the Governor's term for another two years from July 1955.
The Secretary of State was accompanied by his wife, Lady Patricia Lennox-Boyd, and spent an extremely busy six days seeing many aspects of the Colony's life. His tour included visits to several factories, meetings with prominent citizens, interviews with the principal associations concerned with electoral reform, and a Press Conference. On the eve of his departure he broadcast a short personal message over Radio Hong Kong.
In April the Colonial Secretary, Mr. R. B. (now Sir Robert) Black, left the Colony on appointment as Governor of Singapore. Mr. Black had been Hong Kong's Colonial Secretary since 1952, and his departure was the occasion of widespread expressions of regret and of good wishes in his future appointment. He was succeeded as Colonial Secretary by Mr. E. B. David, who arrived in Hong Kong later in the same month.
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