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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
they can only vote if they are sent a poll card, and even amongst personal friends and acquaintances I have met quite a considerable number of people since the elections who on being challenged as to why they were not seen at the polling stations said in a surprised voice: "Oh, but could I vote? I never received any polling card." This aspect of out-dated addresses on the electoral register is quite separate from the point that I have made on previous occasions as to the actual inaccuracies in the register by way of names of persons who are not in the Colony or who are indeed even dead and in some cases duplications of names particularly in the case of Chinese names where it is quite customary for one person to have several aliases. But it happens even with European names. It follows therefore that any attempt to compare the numbers voting with the potential number of voters is under these circumstances a complete waste of time and effort.
Mr. Chairman, in the coming year the Reform Club will press both for a revision of the provisions as to elections contained in the Urban Council Ordinance and the present regulations made thereunder, and for a review of the Corrupt and Illegal Practices Ordinance which, whilst bringing it more into line with local conditions, will also enable what are clearly corrupt practices to be more easily detected and put down. (Applause).
DR. P. F. Woo:--With Mr. Ernest Wong in the Council, the Civic Association now occupies half the number of elected seats. I would like to give you the assurance that our elected members will continue to cooperate with all the members in the Council so that we can work together in harmony and mutual assistance for the good of the public.
Before I deal with your Statement of Progress and Policy, I would like, with your permission sir, to comment on the way in which the Urban Council Elections are conducted. These elections are to encourage the democratic spirit in the people and they run in line with the elections of city, county or borough councils. The Hong Kong electorate is often accused of being apathetic, and I am afraid that if future elections are to be held in the same way, the apathy would even be greater and the results more disappointing.
The apparent indifference with which the electorate takes the elections is not entirely due to lack of interest as it is believed, but there are other reasons as well. First, there is the lack of polling stations: we know from experience that many people do not go to vote because of the distance they have to travel to the poll. Secondly, there are too many candidates' agents at the polling station. Members of this Council who had participated in the voting could not fail to notice that there was a tremendous number of agents or canvassers at the polling station, and the voters were often troubled by their nagging.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Thirdly, there is not enough publicity regarding the procedure of voting. Many people are under the impression that they must have a poll-card before they can vote, for we know of many persons who said they did not vote because they had not received the poll-card and they were not aware that they could attend without it as long as they had some form of identity. This shows that Government should impress more on the public the procedure of voting, and in this respect greater use might be made of Radio Hong Kong and the Rediffusion. Moreover, since the register is made up by the Registration Officer who also records the change of addresses on identity cards, it should not be impossible for him to amend and keep the register up to date until it goes to the printer. We have found that persons who have deceased for two or more years still have their names on the register, and it is also worth noting that this year about 6,000 letters were returned from the Post Office. Until every possible measure is done to encourage the voters to go to the poll, no one can assume that the apathy of the electorate is entirely due to lack of interest.
I fully endorse your policy of pursuing a positive programme of Health Education. In less than a year since the Health Education Select Committee was formed, a lot has been done in this particular field. First, intensive instructions and demonstrations have been given to food-handlers in restaurants and food-establishments; then campaigns in various aspects of health have been conducted and are still being conducted. All these aim at impressing the general public with the real implication of "Miss Ping On", and it is not until every individual in the street appreciates the meaning of Miss Ping On that we can claim the success of Health Education. To achieve this, we require not only a positive programme but also the cooperation of the Medical Department as well as the Education Department. There is no reason why these three Departments should not combine to tackle such an immense problem as that of Health Education, since it concerns every person in the Colony. So far, not enough encouragement has been given to the schools, because in the last School Oratorical Contest, very few entries were received. In the coming year, the Urban Services Department is going to establish the post of Assistant Health Inspector. These Assistant Health Inspectors with only two months' training may be able to execute the duties of house inspection, but they are not qualified for the work of Health Education which requires specially trained personnel.
In view of the shortage of burial grounds, Council should continue to look for suitable sites for this purpose. The resolution passed recently on the new cemetery at Cape Collinson has become a subject of much controversy. The purpose of this resolution is chiefly to enable those who cannot afford the private permanent cemeteries to
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