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their household work to amahs are now doing their own work without the assistance of servants. They have to go to markets buying their food, and it is for the sake of these housewives that I want to draw attention to some of the existing market conditions, which are far from satisfactory. I am not unaware of the difficulty in keeping a market clean and in good order, but improvement can be expected if stricter control is exercised, particularly in the fish stall sections where conditions appear to require more attention. Even in Central Market, which is one of the largest and best in the Colony, the passages are usually obstructed by baskets and tubs containing fish and are made so thoroughly wet and dirty that walking on the slippery ground is difficult and uncomfortable. If the baskets and tubs belong to fish stall holders, they should be warned to keep them within their own stalls. In the small markets where stalls and passages are more restricted in space, obstruction is more serious. Standing on the pavement outside the Lockhart Road Market, one can see baskets and baskets of vegetables, apparently displayed for sale by pedlar hawkers, right in the middle of the narrow passage in front of the meat stalls. In front of the Canal Road Market, the street is seriously blocked by stalls and baskets of hawkers selling vegetables and other foodstuff, causing much discomfort to pedestrians in this muddy and slippery street.
During visits made to Sham Shui Po, Yau Ma Tei and Kwun Chung markets on Kowloon side, conditions were found to be generally more satisfactory, though the visits were made early in the afternoon and probably not well-timed. There were hawker stalls, mostly selling vegetables, outside all the three markets, but these were confined to the sides of streets in an orderly manner. With the exception of the fish stall section in Kwun Chung Market where conditions required improvement, all passages inside the markets were kept reasonably unobstructed.
I am sure that all housewives who have to go to markets will feel grateful if the conditions I have just described can be improved, although this will undoubtedly mean more work and supervision for the market inspectors and overseers. I am happy to note from the Statement of Progress and Policy that with the coming into operation of the Hawker Control Force, more overseers who had previously been engaged in part-time work on hawker control could now be available for permanent duties in markets, and it is hoped that before long, conditions will have improved sufficiently to make marketing a happier task for housewives.
The provision of more markets for the rapidly increasing population is a matter of real urgency, and I am glad that the Urban Council is planning for the building of several new markets and alteration to some existing ones.
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In these plans, I hope the Council will take into consideration the importance of finding ways to keep the passages in the markets clean and dry. I suggest that the passages should be raised above the floor level of the stalls, particularly in fish stall sections, so that water from the stalls will get into the side channels without making the passages wet and dirty. Unloading of goods outside a market entrance, as is now the practice, would cause obstruction to traffic, and the possibility of providing facilities for unloading inside the market should be considered by the Council. I am aware of the scarcity of suitable sites for markets in Hong Kong, and would like to draw attention to the site formerly occupied by the Tang Lung Chau Market, the building of which had been demolished many years ago. Residents in the neighbourhood are now obtaining their food supplies from stalls and pedlar hawkers in Jardine's Bazaar, and the building of a new market on the site should be carried out without delay. Extension to the existing building of Canal Road Market could be made if the nullah at the back of the market were covered up.
Before I conclude, I wish to mention that it is undesirable to have meat shops within market limits. If we pass along Wan Chai Road towards Wan Chai Market, our attention would be attracted to a number of meat shops in close proximity to the market. If we proceed further along Queen's Road East until we come to Gresson Street, we find again meat shops at both ends of this street. We find also large numbers of vegetable and other food hawkers in front of the meat shops, and the throng along the entire length of Gresson Street virtually turns it into a market. I am of the opinion that meat shops serve a useful purpose in places which are far away from markets, but their existence inside market limits should be discouraged, as it would bring with it hawker problems which in turn would cause sanitary nuisance and obstruction. I understand that it was once the policy of the Council not to license meat shops within market limits, and this old policy may well be adopted again in considering future applications for licences.
With these remarks, Sir, I have pleasure in supporting the Motion.
DR. P. F. Woo:- Mr. Chairman, the introduction of "Purchase a floor system" has created multi-ownership of a building. This gives rise to many difficulties in the management of some of the multi-storey buildings, especially in keeping the whole building tidy and clean. Very often refuse is allowed to accumulate, especially in the yard or roof; stairs are never swept, repairs are left undone, and the lifts are not kept in order. All these endanger the health of the residents. It is true that in some buildings, management committees are formed, but these committees have no legal status and they depend entirely on the cooperation of the tenants or owners, which is not always obtained.
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