PRIMARY PRODUCTION AND MARKETING
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is to improve liaison between member-societies and assist them in their contacts with Government departments. Salaried Workers' Thrift and Loan Societies. There are now four Thrift and Loan Societies. Their aims are to encourage members to save a portion of their income and to utilize their savings for small individual loans. In addition, one society has introduced a medical scheme for the benefit of its members and their dependants.
Irrigation Societies. The two existing societies own and operate
pumps and irrigation channels.
Co-operative Building Societies. 132 of these societies had been registered by the end of 1959. These societies were formed to comply with the conditions prescribed by the Government as part of its programme to assist the housing of local pension- able officers. The work is described further in Chapter 10. Fish Pond Society. The only society of this kind, the Luk Keng
Fish Pond Society, owns a fish pond at Luk Keng near Sha Tau Kok with the purpose of improving and developing fish culture.
Credit and Consumers' Societies. There are now five Consumers' Societies and their functions are the purchase of consumer goods-in bulk for resale to members, thereby encouraging members to save and to utilize these savings for small individual loans.
Better Living Societies. These two co-operative societies, formed by villagers of Tai Po Kau and Sai Kung, have as their main objects the improvement of their members' living conditions and the promotion of their welfare and economic interests. The operation of these societies is being closely watched for, if successful, they may well set a pattern for other villages in the New Territories.
Figures of the membership and finances of societies will be found at Appendix XI.
MINING
Iron, lead, wolfram, and graphite are mined by underground methods and kaolin clay, quartz, and feldspar are worked by opencast methods. Iron ore and kaolin are exported to Japan, lead ore to the United Kingdom and other countries in Europe,