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pivot which would enable us to implement the numerous suggestions and ideas largely still in the air which we had previously been discussing. That pivot is, as the Chairman has already pointed out, a disciplined force for the control of hawking as part of the Urban Services Department.
In associating myself with all that you have said, Mr. Chairman, I should like particularly to stress your remarks that we do not intend to impose any unreasonable restrictions upon hawkers. Some of the officers of the Hawkers Association discussed the implication of this report with me the other evening and I got the impression that they were afraid that this report heralded a wave almost of persecution against the fixed pitch and stall holders, particularly cooked food stalls. It is true
that these proposals do involve the enforcement of by-laws that had previously been allowed to become almost a dead letter. A number of cooked food stall licensees particularly had taken advantage of our slackened attitude to develop what were almost street restaurants with tables and chairs spread out in all directions with much surreptitious cooking away from the stall in backlanes and even in the rear part of private houses, and some even with openly flouting the law by the sale of alcoholic beverages. Cooked food stall licensees must realize that in these days when many more quite cheap restaurants are being opened and there is much public opposition to the very existence of the cooked food stall they cannot hope to survive unless they do cater for the type of person who is genuinely desirous of buying a cheap meal in the street rather than going to greater expense by patronizing a restaurant where he can sit at a table in comfort. Once however, conditions have been restored to a position in which compliance with the law is a recognized thing, then undoubtedly we can and must get down to the question as to whether our by-laws are in any respect oppressive on the hawkers and we must give consideration to all reasonable representations for their amendment.
The persons who stand to gain the most from the implementation of these proposals are undoubtedly the mass of so-called pedlar hawkers in respect to whom we introduced a system of issuing unlimited licences somewhile ago. The introduction of hawker bazaars to which the formerly so-called pedlar hawker can go to sell from, is something which I personally have been trying to see introduced for quite a number of years. This report
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recognizes the fact that hawker bazaars must both be big enough to accommodate all the hawkers likely to want to use them and also be situated sufficiently near a market or some other centre for the bazaar to attract customers. It has now been proved that this can be achieved in the streets near most of our markets and that far from making for congestion as was at one time suggested the system has introduced order into what was previously impossible disorder and had the effect of opening up streets which before the new policy it was impossible to pass along on account of the disorganized mass of licensed and unlicensed hawkers in respect to which the Police did not even have the personnel to control had they wanted to.
Finally, I should just like to say that in my view the ultimate success of these proposals will depend upon the efficiency and behaviour of the proposed hawker control force. I am glad you say Sir, that you intend to proceed cautiously and slowly in the recruitment and training of this organization. It is absolutely essential that we get as its backbone the right type of man and that we start off from the first with the right spirit and approach. We do not want the man who is going to regard the job as just another means of making "squeeze". We do not want a man who regards the emblem of his office as entitling him to demand free food or free wares from hawkers under his control. The job will in some respects be similar to that of a village constable in England, firmness where firmness is needed, but at all times mixed with a genuine bond of friendship and understanding for the people with whom he is dealing. Those in charge of the Force must have the initiative to keep in touch with any new undercurrent of feeling as soon as it develops and at all times to ensure that the hawkers can get and can see for themselves that they are getting a fair deal both from the Council and as between themselves.
I started by referring to this report as being a compromise but it is a compromise which faces up to the problems that this question of hawking gives rise to and the proposals do, I think, for the first time include concrete recommendations for their own implementation. Undoubtedly other problems will arise in this matter which the report does not cover because the matter is not one capable of simple solution but I feel sure myself that this policy now proposed to the Council does have every chance of successful implementation and I therefore commend it to the Council and second the adoption of the report.
J
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