Tamwort
HONG KONG
Registered
(1)
川
an 54 236/46. A
A consideration of the development of Afforestation, Agriculture, Fisheries and Nutrition in the rehabilitation of Hong Kong.
This memorandum is submitted in the belief that coordination is essential between these four departments and that a constructive and imaginative policy is required.
SUMMARY
PRE-WAR SET UP.
Two Government Departments and a Committee were responsible for these subjects: they were the Botanical and Forestry Department, the Fisheries Research Station and the Nutrition Research Committee. Their principal activities and limitations are outlined below.
I. THE BOTANICAL AND FORESTRY DEPARTMENT.
Activities.
1. Maintenance of Botanic Gardens and of the grounds of Government House and of Government Institutions.
2. Maintenance of roadside trees.
3. Afforestation of hillsides and protection of
woodlands.
4. Encouragement of agriculture.
Petty
Limitations. 1. The Botanical side almost entirely concerned with
the maintenance of long established gardens. No botanical or horticultural research has been attempted for many years. problems and office routine occupied too much time.
2. The Forestry side almost entirely concerned with the afforestation of local hillsides with the Chinese pine by antiquated methods. No vision shewn or adequate experimentation with other trees and modern methods.
3. No constructive agricultural policy ever adopted. No veterinary work attempted. No research undertaken into such problems as improved strains, new crops, cover crops, new methods of utilising hillsides and of water conservation. Prior to the war a scheme for the establishment of an agricultural research station proposed and approved but never implemented.
II. THE FISHERIES RESEARCH STATION: skeleton staff, no permanent
buildings. Activities. 1. Research into native methods of fishing and in
marine biology.
2. Research into ad hoc problems, e.g. tanning of nets extraction of shark liver oil.
3. Creation of salt fish siege reserve.
Limitations. 1 Tendency for academic research to take precedence
over practical assistance to the fishing industry; this inevitable, due to shortage of staff and youth of department.
III. THE NUTRITION RESEARCH COMMITTEE: personnel chiefly Government
doctors. Activities. 1. Discussion of problems and offering of advice to
medical and other departments.
Limitations.
2.
Limited research into food values of local foods.
This Committee was totally inadequate to cope with
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