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have taken place. And, last but not least, any proposals arising from this motion must not be allowed to prejudice the main programme of library expansion recently approved by the Library Select Committee.
MR. HU: Mr. Chairman, may I say a few words in supporting the Motion. I should think it's a good idea to provide public reading rooms for the general public--not like the Mod Pop-In Dance, it is a constructive idea. I think the public reading rooms are greatly needed in the Colony. You just pass over the City Hall Library and public reading room there these were always crowded; but on the other hand, I think that two or three months ago I did raise the question that a public reading room could be constructed in Stanley for young people. I would therefore suggest that such public reading rooms should not only be confined to crowded urban areas, as has been suggested, they should also be extended to such rural areas as Stanley as well. For example, in Stanley there is still a whole village with a population of over 3,000 people, that is Ma Hang village, where there is still no electricity. Therefore, in supporting this Motion, I would like the Library Select Committee to take into consideration the need to con- struct a public reading room in Stanley. With this remark I support the Motion.
DR. BELL: Mr. Chairman, I would also like to support Mrs. ELLIOTT'S Motion. I think that this is a matter of concern not just, as you yourself have said, to this Council but probably, or probably should be, to the Education Department, too and one would hope that that Department might be thinking of doing something in this direction. I would like to make a suggestion to the Libraries Committee if they are going to be considering proposals for this; that there are already very many rooms available which could be used for this sort of thing, partic- ularly in the Housing Authority estates where each estate has com- munity rooms which are not in fact fully utilized, the only trouble being that these rooms are supposed to be rented but I am quite sure arrangements could be made that they could be used free, when they weren't being rented out to some function, for the purpose of students studying. I think it's important that whatever rooms are being used that they are rooms which are cool and also well-lit. The Ocean Terminal and the Airport both proved extremely popular not, I think, because they were ideally quiet places for people to study but because they were cool and I think that that was quite an attraction to a lot of people. So, I think it's necessary perhaps not just to think of any old rooms but to think of rooms which are properly fitted out, that are probably air-conditioned and properly lit for this purpose, and I do support Mrs. ELLIOTT's Motion.
MR. SALES: -Mr. Chairman, the question of Mod Pop-In having been raised I am inspired to take part in this debate not having intend- ed to do so because the text of the Motion is so clear in its intent that
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it must evidently win the wholehearted support of this Council. I cannot promise my colleague, Mr. Henry Hu, a reading room in his Ward at Stanley, because that is within the purview of the Library Select Committee, but I do solemnly pledge to this Council that I will ensure that there will be a Mod Pop-In in Stanley in due time. (Laughter). Mr. Chairman, Mr. BLAKER was kind enough in his speech to refer to the Jaycee libraries. The Jaycee libraries are in fact, perhaps in a small way, what Mrs. ELLIOTT intends that we should have through- out Hong Kong. Mr. LOBO and I were associated with the setting up of these libraries right from the inception some 18 years ago and at the time when we ceased to be Jaycees because of our reaching the age limit there were at least 23 such libraries with nearly one hundred thousand books in them spread all over the Colony-in Cheung Chau, at Wan Chai, in Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre, in Lantau and other outlying islands. Therefore we've got practical experience of what can be achieved and we know from our own personal experience that it serves a great need in Hong Kong, so much so a few years ago I suggested to the ecclesiastical authorities here that the Catholic schools might be thrown open in the summer months and at other times in the year as well for children to make use of their excellent facilities for studying and cultural recreation. Mr. Chairman I would like to record not only my support for this Motion but the fact that I would be quite prepared to yield the priority that Mr. CHEONG-LEEN wishes to accord to the Festival of Arts to the setting up of many such reading rooms in Hong Kong.
MR. BERNACCHI : -Sir, in supporting this Motion I should like to endorse what Dr. BELL has already said—not any room but air-condi- tioned rooms are essential for study for young persons provided by this Council.
DR. HUANG:----Mr. Chairman, in support of Mrs. ELLIOTT's Motion I want to say a few words. A few months ago I suggested to the Library Select Committee to consider to extend the opening hours of our libraries. Today I have heard many colleagues talk about class- rooms of various schools and many other places but why not make better use of our own libraries-so last time I was told that because of financial difficulties the opening hours cannot be extended, so at this time I hope the Library Select Committee will again reconsider my former proposal and with this remark I support the Motion.
CHAIRMAN:-I would only say Dr. HUANG that this is not quite in the context of the Motion but no doubt the Library Committee will bear your point in mind.
The question was put.
The Motion was carried.
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