Page 275 of 312
524
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
(ii) for sympathetic consideration as to the admission of one or more of the children of the deceased, who are at present not going to school, to a Government school?
If so, what has been the answer?
THE SECRETARY FOR CHINESE AFFAIRS replied as follows:
The principal wives of the two men who were killed were both immediately offered issues of rations by the Director of Social Welfare, and both declined the offer.
In December they both accepted through the Secretariat for Chinese Affairs, and without any prejudice to any claims for compensation they might wish to make, ex gratia grants of $2,000 each to help meet any immediate hardships—as also did the mother of the injured boy. One of the deceased, however, had also been maintaining a mistress or concubine in a separate establishment, by whom he had had five children. She approached the Social Welfare Department in January for assistance, and approval was given for her to receive free issues of rice for a period of eight weeks, the position thereafter to be reviewed again.
The widow of the same man first asked about two weeks ago if two of her children could be admitted to the Farm Road Government Primary School. This was referred to the Director of Education, who has made arrangements for the two children to be admitted and granted free places. All the other children of both the deceased who are between the ages of 4 and 15 are already at other schools.
MR. BERNACCHI: - Mr. Chairman, I thank the Secretary for Chinese Affairs for his very full answer to my question. There is only one matter and that is the reference to the widow having asked only about two weeks ago if two of her children could be admitted to the Farm Road Government Primary School. As my question was submitted over two weeks ago and I had information that such a request had already been made, I wonder if that point can be clarified?
SECRETARY FOR CHINESE AFFAIRS: - I think I can clarify the time error, Mr. Chairman. It might have been two to two and a half weeks ago, but subject to what my friend the Director of Social Welfare may say, it was not much more than that. Neither I nor the Director of Education knew anything about this application before then. The
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
525
widow may have mentioned it to other people, but the information did not come our way. I do not think the Director of Social Welfare knew about it either.
DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE: - I cannot add anything to that, Mr. Chairman. That is the position as I know it.
MR. BERNACCHI: - I am much obliged.
(4) DR. R. H. S. LEE asked the following question:
Is the Chairman aware of the growing bacterial contamination of the water of the urban public beaches? What measures are taken to sterilize the sewage outfalls serving the urban areas? When will a chlorination process be introduced to make the harbour once more fragrant? Has liaison been established with the Marine Department to reduce such contamination from ships anchoring in the harbour?
THE ACTING DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES replied as follows:
The pollution of bathing beaches is a problem of concern to all coastal authorities who deal with sewage by discharge into tidal waters.
This economical and universally accepted method of disposal is unlikely to cause harm or give rise to offence when outfalls are properly designed and located and there is adequate dilution and dispersal.
Tests taken of seawater in September last year showed that out of 7 samples from urban beaches including those on the south side of the Island, 4 contained organisms indicating sewage pollution. In no case other than the beach at Lai Chi Kok, was the degree of contamination high.
I am informed by my friend the Director of Public Works that the nuisance of sewage outfalls at seawalls is being eliminated by the construction of intercepting sewers, from which the sewage is screened and discharged through deep submarine outfalls away from the shore. No special measures are taken to sterilize the sewage discharged from submarine outfalls and it is doubtful if treatment by chlorination would be either practicable or suitable. Chlorination is more suited to the treatment of comparatively small sewage effluents which have already been
Page 275
Page 276
Page 276