HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
DR. R. H. S. LEE :- Hawking is not an institution peculiar to Hong Kong. It is found in every city in the Far East and in other parts of the world where there is a surplus of unskilled and semi-skilled labourers. It is an answer to both an economic and social problem. If hawking is to be abolished in toto in Hong Kong today I dare say that we shall have an unprecedented unemployment problem on our hands which will defy the welfare resources of this Colony. As the majority will have so much time on their hands, they will direct their energy and attention to begging or crime as a solution to their problem. I shudder to think, Mr. Chairman, of the consequences that tens of thousands of angry and hungry unemployed and their families will have on the peace and stability of the Colony. I doubt very much whether our present Police Force is strong enough to cope with so large a would-be lawless element, or our welfare resources have the means of dealing with so many destitutes without furthering the burdens of the taxpayers.
COL. CLAGUE:--On a point of order, is this relevant to any of the recommendations?
CHAIRMAN :-I feel it is my duty to agree that this is not relevant to the proposals and I would so rule.
DR. LEE:-Yes, I will develop my subject that I am in favour of further licensing with these modifications. These are my opening remarks. I hope Col. Clague will bear with me. With your permission, Mr. Chairman, the alternative of course, is to live in co-existence with it for which we have no option under the circumstances but to face it.
To those who are familiar with life in the crowded tenements, hawking offers a very real service to its occupants. To the busy housewife who can't afford to make many trips to the market or shops the hawker is her best friend who supplies not only some of life's necessities but the price in many cases is often cheaper than anywhere else. Who is not aware of the cheap snack like noodles and wan-tun that an itinerant agent of a cooked food stall supplies to the urban dweller? Because of the keen competition offered by the hawkers, vegetables sold by them is the cheapest in the market to-day. That is why vegetable stalls in the markets are not let, because no stall holder can compete with them. One of the reasons why the labour force in the Colony is one of the cheapest in the world to-day is that a labourer can always get a cheap meal from a cooked food stall, and the meals supplied by a cooked food stall are cheaper than anywhere else. To many who can't make a living in other trades hawking offers a gainful employment to many who would have to turn to begging or crime as an answer to their desperate problem. Members may be surprised to know that there are hawkers who have managed by thrift and sacrifice to give their children a University education. It will be seen therefore that not every hawker, as it is the general opinion, belongs to the same camp. Knowing the hawkers as I do, they form an integral part of the urban community.
Whilst I speak favourably of the policy which permits the licensing of hawkers I am firmly of the opinion that some measure of control is absolutely necessary. The former policy of uncontrolled hawking has left much to be desired. The gross crowding and obstruction in the neighbourhood of markets constitute an unsightly and insanitary condition which flagrantly encroaches upon the rights of pedestrians and motorists alike. The blocking of roads and pavements interfere with the normal business of adjacent shops and residents which has given rise to much nuisances and complaints. Remedial measures to overcome this unsatisfactory state of affairs are long over-due. I am glad to see that some of the proposed recommendations are being brought into action. At this stage I cannot speak too strongly of the necessity for by-laws and regulations to be simple so that they can be easily understood and readily enforced. It is equally important to have an efficient and disciplined force forming the hawkers patrol at the beginning because the success or failure of the new Hawkers Policy will depend to a large extent upon their work and integrity. I hope this force will have the effect of inducing the unlicensed hawker to take up a licence, thus avoiding police arrest of their illegal activities. I trust we will not have the same congested and deplorable scene that one frequently sees in the Magistrate's Court from the application of this new policy. I earnestly hope that it will put an end to the illegal activities of triad societies and others in demanding protection from the hawkers. I cannot help emphasizing that control, Mr. Chairman, as you have alluded to in your speech, is the key to the success of the new policy, and if it fails the whole policy will collapse like a pack of cards.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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