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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
The remaining 20 posts of Labourer were requested for new parks and playgrounds, but subject to the provision of motor-mowing machines instead of manually operated machines and more efficient transport facilities, it is now thought that these additional posts will not be necessary.
Members are aware, through memoranda dealt with by the Estimates Select Committee, that certain additional senior posts for the headquarters of the department were asked for separately from the main body of the staff estimates. A decision on this matter has not yet been conveyed to me by the Colonial Secretariat.
It is proposed to table a summary of Other Charges and similar summaries in respect of the Resettlement Department at the next meeting of this Council. Final decisions on these estimates have yet to be made.
Members are now welcome to address the Council on the subject of the staff estimates of the Urban Services Department.
MR. FUNG:-Mr. Chairman, may I refer to your remarks concerning the number of posts for pest control labourers, and ask a question? Is the Department satisfied that an experiment is necessary?
CHAIRMAN:-I think there would be no objection, Sir, to carrying out an experiment. You will notice it is intended to provide these additional posts for the experiment more or less immediately.
MR. FUNG: Can the Chairman assure us that a good job can be done with this limited number?
CHAIRMAN : —Sir, this will be an experiment. Every effort will be made to make it a successful experiment.
MR. WILSON T. S. WANG:—Mr. Chairman. I know of an experiment that has been carried out--a test to know whether a person is a witch or not by throwing the person into the water. If she dies, she is not a witch. If she doesn't, she must be a witch, and therefore should be condemned. I hope this is not the way that this experiment will be carried out. If the experiment is successful no more pest control will be necessary. Therefore no more labourers will be necessary. If the experiment is not successful then there will be no need for any increase of pest control labourers. It is my hope that this is not the kind of result that is expected out of this experiment.
MR. SALES:-Sir, I am greatly intrigued by the decision to eliminate the tractor drivers. I take it that it is expected that Members of the Urban Council will take it in turn to drive Government's tractors in the ensuing year. (Laughter). If such be the thought in the Establishment Department, I for one am very willing to participate in any roster which includes the Colonial Secretary. I trust, Sir, that in the future when applications are made by this Council for the purpose of rendering better service to the public, no functionary in the Colonial Secretariat will intervene unnecessarily and in a misguided spirit of economy. That applies to the question of pest control officers as well. I trust that in cutting down the applications for these civil servants the Medical and Health Department has been consulted, because the matter of pest control to me is an extremely important one if this Council, and the Department, are to maintain the excellent record which Hong Kong has of being free from any serious epidemics.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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That is not the purpose of my intervention in the matter of the estimates before this Council. Sir, the Council has for years suggested to Government the need for a Deputy Director to keep pace with the expansion of the work done by the Urban Services Department. A decision has not been taken in that respect. The Council has asked for re-organization of your Department so that your Department may give service to the public according to the directions of the Urban Council. It is no secret to say that the Urban Council is impatient about the progress that is being made. The Urban Council wants even better service to be given to the public in all the aspects of the Council's important work which touch upon the lives of the people of Hong Kong in such a vital manner. No decision has been taken in respect of the re-organization of your Department. We would like to see an Assistant Director, whose duty is to look after the growing and expanding work involved in amenities, or, if you will, parks and recreation. Government is dragging its feet on this most important point. Government prevaricates while the needs of the children of Hong Kong for recreational facilities grow apace. Sir, I accuse Government of failing in its support for the Urban Council's work by not providing this Council with the staff that is required, and by staff I do not mean the lower grades, I mean the management staff that is so necessary for the work that we are trying to do.
I am, Sir, greatly disappointed with this report of the Standing Committee on super-scale-upper-scale salaries, of which a copy was given to us some time ago. I have been waiting for this opportunity to make my comments known to Government through you. I do not think this Committee has taken into account the importance of the work of the Urban Council through your Department, and the associated departments. This report ignores completely the needs of the people of Hong Kong in respect to the services which must be given in a modern and progressive city. This report is heavily weighted in favour of trade and commerce, and I do not doubt for a moment that that must have been a strong factor in their deliberations, having regard to the people who serve on the Standing Committee. And, Sir,
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