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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
It is difficult for me to realize that today I am attending my last monthly meeting before I leave this Council, on which I have served for almost seven years. It is only a great pity that my last meeting in this Council, Mr. Chairman, should coincide with your first. The years have certainly slipped away quickly and, if I may say so, on the whole very pleasantly.
I was going to say metaphorically that I have been only a cog in a moving wheel, but I think a happier and more accurate description would be a member of a team. Seven years have I taken part in this team, and during that period I have had the privilege of co-ordinating myself from time to time with the changes in its personnel and the changes in its constitution.
In consequence of progressive and careful adjustments made throughout the years this team has by now been enlarged until it is capable of coping adequately with present day requirements, while at the same time being kept within reasonable proportions so as to ensure that it does not become too massive to make play cumbersome for the team as a whole.
The task of this Council has always been arduous and has become more so with the years. I am glad to look back over the last few years and to recount the many improvements and accomplishments made. In short, a lot has been done, but a lot more still remains to be done.
Whatever achievements have been made by this Council are the results of collective effort, and it redounds rather to the credit of the Council as a whole than to any particular individual or group that so much has been accomplished.
One splendid feature of this Council is worth mentioning—a feature in which we all should take pride. It is the fact that although this assembly of business and professional men (and women) who have been admitted into this worthy combine through different avenues of entry have at times found themselves in wide divergence of opinion over some matters or problems, they have nevertheless showed unanimity in one common cause,
which is: to serve, with all within their powers, the interests of the public.
Mr. Chairman, my innings has now come to an end, but I shall watch with interest the future achievements of the team from a seat in the pavilion.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
273
In conclusion Sir, may I take this opportunity of thanking all my colleagues on this Council as well as the staff members serving under it, and the members of the Press, for the co-operation and understanding they have at all times shown to me to make my long term on this Council a very happy and memorable one.
To you, Sir, once again I express my sincere thanks and deep appreciation for your kind words. (Applause).
MR. RUTTONJEE :—Mr. Chairman, when friend Mr. Kwok Chan phoned me last Saturday asking me whether I was going to say something as a farewell I said: "No, there will be seven columns in the paper the next morning and my half column will not be missed by the public." And then I thought there might be only three columns in the paper instead of the usual seven so I have no other alternative but to get up and say a few words. (Laughter).
I would like to thank you, Sir, and Mr. Bernacchi and Mr. Li for your kind words which you have spoken. It is a long time when you sit back and think of seven years. It was seven years ago when Mr. Kwok Chan and myself entered this Council Chamber together, and we are leaving together. It is so difficult we had our meetings for ten minutes and I can assure all the Members that we did quite a lot in that ten minutes too. We are doing that now in an hour. We are doing may be a little bit more than what we did at that time.
I would like to take this opportunity, Sir, to thank your staff, especially your secretarial staff for the patience that they have shown to me, especially at times when I used to phone up to the Secretary saying that there are so many boxes coming this evening, please don't send me any more for another day or two. (Laughter).
Before sitting down, Sir, I would like to mention this, that I was under an illusion up to the moment when Mr. Brook Bernacchi mentioned that even his boy was intimidated by a certain triad society. I thought the Reform Club members were just beyond that, and nobody would dare to do anything to them. (Laughter). As I was coming in an elected Member said;