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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
For the size of Hong Kong it is inconceivable that there are less than 26,000 voters for a population of over 3.4 million people. In view of Hong Kong's special circumstances, we do not advocate a general franchise based on either age or literacy qualifications, as is done in almost every democratic country in the world, but we do propose that property tax payers and qualified nurses should be included in the electorate. The present system of registering the various categories of electors should be improved and streamlined. Since the present categories of voters like jurors, doctors, barristers, solicitors, teachers, auxiliary medical service personnel, civil aid service personnel, personal income tax payers and others are either registered with or known to a Government department, it is only to discourage persons who have a right to vote from voting by requiring them, as is the present practice, to apply to be put on the register several months before the election. If we want to encourage them to exercise their civic rights, we should place their names automatically on the register because we have encountered many who would have voted but they could not vote on account of the fact that they did not know that they had to apply to be placed on the register. There are many who had reached the age of 60, but who were not aware of the fact that they had to re-apply in order to be kept active in the voting register.
Sir, in view of the work and responsibility that the Council now undertakes, the name "Urban Council" is hardly appropriate, and it should be changed to "a City Council". In conformity with Hong Kong's post-war development and expansion, there is need for the Council's elected members to be doubled, because new members can bring not only new blood and fresh energy to the Council, but also more views, new ideas, and closer contact with the electorate. It has been alleged that the coalition of the Reform Club and the Civic Association has the effect of discouraging independent candidates to contest elections, which has not been borne out by the last election, but if the number of elected seats is enlarged by another eight seats, there can be no doubt that there will be more competition, and if any assurance is required, Mr. Chairman, there can be no question that it will be monopolized by the above-mentioned two organizations. If Government has any intention of stimulating interest in local elections, here is an admirable opportunity for it to demonstrate its desire. There is everything in favour of and nothing against this move. It is the best way of giving unpaid public service to the community, and it is worthy of Government's support. Since the Urban Council is the only Council in Hong Kong which has an element of elected representation, and is subject to statutory limitation, I can see no valid reason against this proposal.
With these remarks, Mr. Chairman, I have pleasure in supporting the motion.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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MR. WILSON T. S. WANG:--Mr. Chairman, "Amenity" as a word, though very appropriately spells out with the first letter "A" in the alphabet, but as a project never seems to secure an easy passage to category "A" in government programmes. Other projects have the backing of statistical data to press their claim for immediate attention, but the need for more amenities has only man's imagination to depend on, even though its direct bearing on social welfare is universally acknowledged.
Refer to our record of minutes of our meetings and we shall see that much of our time was spent on questions and discussions on amenities. However, time and again our suggestions and our efforts aiming to provide more facilities for amenities, were shelved or relegated the moment they reached the higher authorities. What actually is going on in our urban districts is that as land after land is being deployed for building constructions, correspondingly, less and less spaces are available for amenities. If our plea for more amenities continues to fall on deaf ears, we may well have to apply the "Boyle's Law" to describe that the volume of amenities is inversely proportional to the size of our population.
Our resolution today, as it has always been before, is "To ensure that sufficient land is set aside for parks, playgrounds and urban amenities to meet the needs of the ever expanding population." I sincerely hope that a more positive attitude will be adopted to bring about the effective implementation of this resolution.
First of all, I would like to suggest that a survey be made to inquire how extensively existing facilities are being utilized at the present moment, not only with regard to facilities entrusted to the care of this Council, but also with regard to the grounds granted on permit direct from the Crown Lands Office to clubs and associations. In the case of the latter there does not seem to have a supervisory body at Government level to ensure that the sites so granted have been utilized to the full, or have been developed to the maximum advantage. This, I believe is an extremely important matter at the moment, when sites for amenities are extremely scarce in the urban districts.
It is my contention that the Urban Council is the most appropriate body to be delegated with the power to ensure that, as far as amenity facilities are concerned, all grounds granted on permit are being employed to the widest extent in the interest of the general public.
It is fair to say that not a few clubs and associations, possessing wide, extensive spaces, have only small memberships owing, either to bad management or poor development of their amenity facilities; or worse because of a deliberate and selfish policy to limit the use of their facilities to an exclusive group of over-privileged persons. Can anyone tell me how an individual may become a member, for instance,
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