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OFFICIAL REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS
Meeting of 2nd June, 1954.
PRESENT:
HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR (PRESIDENT)
SIR ALEXANDER WILLIAM GEORGE HERDER GRANTHAM, G.C.M.G.
THE HONOURABLE THE COLONIAL SECRETARY
MR. ROBERT BROWN BLACK, C.M.G., O.B.E.
THE HONOURABLE THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
MR. ARTHUR RIDEHALGH, Q.C.
THE HONOURABLE THE SECRETARY FOR CHINESE AFFAIRS
MR. RONALD RUSKIN TODD.
THE HONOURABLE THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY
MR. ARTHUR GRENFELL CLARKE, C.M.G.
THE HONOURABLE THEODORE LOUIS BOWRING, O.B.E.
(Director of Public Works).
DR. THE HONOURABLE YEO KOK CHEANG
(Director of Medical and Health Services).
THE HONOURABLE LEONARD GEOFFREY MORGAN
(Acting Director of Education).
THE HONOURABLE HAROLD GILES RICHARDS, O.B.E.
(Director of Urban Services).
DR. THE HONOURABLE CHAU SIK N1N, C.B.E.
THE HONOURABLE LO MAN WAI, O.B.E.
THE HONOURABLE NGAN SHING-KWAN.
THE HONOURABLE DHUN JEHANGIR RUTTONJEE.
THE HONOURABLE KWOK CHAN, O.B.E.
THE HONOURABLE LAWRENCE KADOORIE.
MR. ROBERT WILLIAM PRIMROSE (Deputy Clerk of Councils).
ABSENT:
HIS EXCELLENCY THE COMMANDER BRITISH FORCES
LIEUTENANT-GENERAL CECIL STANWAY SUGDEN, C.B., C.B.E.
THE HONOURABLE CEDRIC BLAKER, M.C., E.D.
DR. THE HONOURABLE ALBERTO MARIA RODRIGUES, M.B.E., E.D.
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MINUTES.
The Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 19th May, 1954, were confirmed.
PAPERS.
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY, by Command of His Excellency the Governor, laid upon the table the following papers: —
Subject G.N. No. The Scott and Wilson Project Report on the Development of Kai Tak Airport.
The Report of an Inter-Departmental Committee on a scheme for Airport Development at Hong Kong.
together with a covering Memorandum prepared in the Colonial Secretariat. The Public Health (Animals and Birds) Ordinance, Chapter 139.
The Importation of Animals from Cambodia
(Prohibition) Order, 1954 ………………………………………………A. 68
The Defence Regulations, 1940.
The Prohibited Exports (Amendment) Order, 1954…………………………A. 69
The Emergency Regulations Ordinance, Chapter 241.
The Emergency (Resettlement Areas) (Amendment)
Regulations, 1954………………………………………………………A. 70
He said: Sir, in connexion with the papers on the subject of the development of Kai Tak I should like to take this opportunity of informing honourable Members that Government intends at the next following meeting of this Council to introduce a Resolution for the adoption and execution of the scheme referred to in paragraph 9 of the covering memorandum, namely, the construction of a runway and overrun at Kai Tak 7,500 feet long and 700 feet wide and the provision of a combined access way and readiness area to enable the Royal Air Force to use the runway without passing through the civil maintenance and dispersal areas.
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FOOD SHOPS (AMENDMENT) BY-LAWS, 1954.
MR. H. G. RICHARDS moved the following resolution: —
Resolved that the Food Shops (Amendment) By-laws, 1954, made by the Urban Council on the 11th day of May, 1954, under section 5 of the Public Health (Food) Ordinance, Chapter 140, be approved.
He said: Sir, the purpose of these by-laws is set out in the explanatory note. THE COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded.
The question was put and agreed to.
SCHEDULE OF WRITE-OFFS FOR THE FINANCIAL
YEAR 1953/54.
THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY moved the following resolution: —
"Resolved that the Write-offs for the financial year 1953/54, as set out in the Schedule, be approved."
He said: Sir, honourable Members will recollect that at the meeting of council held on the 22nd October, 1952, the authority to write off losses, which had been delegated by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to this Council, was delegated by resolution to Your Excellency in cases where the total amount involved did not exceed five thousand dollars, and provided that the loss or deficiency was not caused by the fraud or negligence of an officer.
The action then taken has greatly reduced the volume of routine work in Finance, Committee and in this Council, the lengthy schedules of trivial write-offs and abandonments of claims which used to come up every quarter, being now replaced by this schedule which comprises all the major write-offs which have so far come to light for the financial year 1953/54. It will be observed that there is but one item under $5,000.
All the items have already been considered and approved by Finance Committee and the covering approval of this Council is now required.
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded.
The question was put and agreed to.
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PENSIONS (AMENDMENT) BILL, 1954.
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL moved the Second reading of a Bill intituled "An Ordinance to amend the Pensions Ordinance, Chapter 89. "
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded.
The question was put and agreed to.
The Bill was read a Second time.
Council then went into Committee to consider the Bill clause by clause. Clauses 1 to 5 were agreed to.
Council then resumed.
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL reported that the Pensions (Amendment) Bill, 1954 had passed through Committee without amendment and moved the Third reading.
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded.
The question was put and agreed to.
The Bill was read a Third time and passed into law.
CELLULOID AND CINEMATOGRAPH FILM
(AMENDMENT) BILL, 1954.
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL moved the Second reading of a Bill intituled "An Ordinance to amend further the Celluloid and Cinematograph Film Ordinance, 1923."
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded.
The question was put and agreed to.
The Bill was read a Second time.
Council then went into Committee to consider the Bill clause by clause. Clauses 1 to 6 were agreed to.
Council then resumed.
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THE ATTORNEY GENERAL reported that the Celluloid and Cinematograph Film (Amendment) Bill, 1954 had passed through Committee without amendment and moved the Third reading.
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded.
The question was put and agreed to.
The Bill was read a Third time and passed into law.
THE ALICE HO MIU LING NETHERSOLE HOSPITAL
INCORPORATION BILL, 1954.
MR. NGAN SHING-KWAN moved the First reading of a Bill intituled "An Ordinance for the incorporation of the Executive Committee of The Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital".
He said: Sir, 'I'he Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital is in fact an amalgamation into one of what were originally three hospitals, together known as the Alice Memorial & Affiliated Hospitals. It is now a single entity, and the name Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital has been chosen, so that the three names, Alice, Ho Miu Ling, and Nethersole, all of which have played an honourable part in its history, may be commemorated.
The first building was the Alice Memorial Hospital in Hollywood Road, given by the late Dr. Ho Kai in memory of his wife "Alice". The greater part of the cost of the site was paid for by the London Missionary Society, the balance being met by public subscription in the Colony. This Hospital was opened in 1887.
The Nethersole Hospital on Bonham Road, which was also erected on land provided by the London Missionary Society, was opened in 1893, the cost of the building itself being met by Mr. H. W. Davis of the well known firm of chartered accountants Messrs. Linstead and Davis, whose mother's family name was "Nethersole".
The Ho Miu Ling Hospital was built in 1906 by the late Madame Wu Ting Fong whose maiden name was Ho Miu Ling, and the land was provided by the Hong Kong Government. Two years previous to this, a Maternity Hospital was also added
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to the group, the cost being met by public subscription, with the London Missionary Society again coming forward to help by donating the land. These Hospitals were Operated by the London Missionary Society with the advice of a Finance Committee in Hong Kong until 1923 when a new Constitution was drawn up vesting the management in a Committee consisting of subscribers and supporters of the Hospitals and representatives of the London Missionary Society, whose Senior Missionary was named as Trustee.
Apart from providing medical aid to the public at the minimum possible charge or entirely free, the hospital has been rendering a valuable service to the community by the training of a large number of nurses and midwives, the present number under instruction being eighty.
Starting with about 50 beds in the original Alice Memorial Hospital, the Hospital will have some 240 beds when the new Maternity Wing is completed. During the last two years the annual number of inpatients was over 5,000, while that for outpatients exceeded 52,000.
Sir, the present Bill follows the line of other Bills designed for similar purposes, and the Objects and Reasons are so fully set out in the Bill, I do not think it necessary for me to add anything to them.
MR. KWOK CHAN seconded.
The question was put and agreed to.
The Bill was read a First time.
Objects and Reasons.
The "Objects and Reasons" for the Bill were slated as follows: —
The necessity for the incorporation of the executive committee of The Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital arises from the fact that the present buildings of the hospital stand on land which
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is held by trustees in trust for the hospital. It is desirable that the hospital should acquire and hold the said land and it is, therefore, most important that as Crown lessees they should be a body with perpetual succession.
2. It is also desirable that the hospital should be incorporated and become a permanent body in view of its substantial development and of its responsibility for the administration of substantial grants which have been and may in future be made by government and private sources. It is the object of this Bill to effect such incorporation.
3. The Bill follows the model of legislation of similar character already enacted in the Colony for the incorporation of charitable organizations.
ADJOURNMENT.
H. E. THE GOVERNOR: —Council will adjourn to this day fortnight.