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necessary services. Do more to create an esprit de corps and give the members of the Essential Services Corps generous provisions for the protection of their families in the unfortunate event of their own injury or death.
Sir, if I have trespassed, I rely on the convention to go outside matters relating to the Urban Council at an Annual Debate, but the Essential Services Corps is very much a matter in which any local government should be most concerned. I have heard that the Divisional Commanders, or a great majority of them, are all against breaking up the Essential Services Corps. If, therefore, as rumour has it, the Committee recommended it, then the Committee, composed presumably of people that have no specialist experience of what conditions are like on the public's day-to-day life in an emergency, recommended against the advice of their own technical advisors.
This is typical of the Hong Kong Government attitude, and I say again that it has only a very limited time in which to really bridge the gap between the civil servants that sit in ivory towers and the people who make Hong Kong exist, the younger generation who know no other home but Hong Kong. With these words, I again say I am happy to second the Motion. (Applause).
MR. R. H. LOBO:- Mr. Chairman, in rising to support the Motion before the Council, I wish to make a few comments and I should like to begin by saying that some almanacs and horoscope forecasts occur-rences, the Chinese calendar, with all the wisdom of ancient culture, name every year after an animal. Judging from articles in the Press, and what I have just heard, I suspect some sections of our community, although satisfied that the administration is instilling confidence and our local economy is booming, believe that this year could also have been called "The Year of the Snail".
One year's delay to any reply represents quite a setback when compared with the Hong Kong pace of progress, and when one has to wait for three years whilst the matter is "receiving attention", the situation becomes rather ridiculous.
One could cite many examples, but a typical one which concerns this Council is the long delay in the reply and the failure to appreciate the seriousness of the Hawkers problem. I can only hope that the new Committee which had to be constituted recently to devise a new policy will not fit the description of a camel when it was said that it was a horse created by a panel of experts because, unless that Committee receives adequate understanding and support from all sections of Government for the implementation of its decisions and, of course, not less important, the attitude of the minds of certain persons involved is not changed to keep the picture in focus, the present chaotic situation will not improve and the description I have just mentioned will certainly fit.
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Also, I wonder, Mr. Chairman, if those who are suggesting the reduction and/or abolition of the present limited control available are aware that there is considerable evidence to show that market stall-holders and fresh provisions shopkeepers are being forced to leave their legitimate premises to compete illegally in the streets. In many cases, these market stall-holders and shopkeepers are compelled in their own interest to act as suppliers to the unlicensed Hawkers if they wish to remain in business. Indeed, the answer to these and other Hawker problems is not a simple one, and I feel we must give the newly constituted Committee every opportunity to discharge its function.
It is also important to note that one cannot resolve a problem by being contented with "make do", nor should we hide the fact that some of this Council's difficulties can be traced to its adoption of the easy way out of problems by classifying them as "tolerated". The aftermath of these solutions is today's unsolved riddles. As we must look ahead, this attitude must not continue.
Having touched briefly on the difficulties of some market stall-holders, I find I must elaborate a little more on the subject of Markets. Here, too, we are proceeding at snail's pace, but some progress is being achieved. This aspect of the Council's work is inter-related with the Hawkers' problem where stalls, bazaars, etc. are concerned. I am advised that, of our problems submitted to Government, the more pressing ones are "receiving attention", but I sincerely hope not in the usual manner.
Meanwhile, of course, the old buildings continue to decay, and I presume we will look forward to the 100th anniversary of some of these buildings. Indeed, several will soon celebrate their centenary. It will be a happy day for this Council when new, large markets and the hawkers become part of complexes to meet the local demand, and the economic and labour conditions will encourage the able-bodied to resort to other trades, thus leaving the less fortunate ones who have no other means of livelihood to take over this private enterprise of hawking.
Sir, there are grounds to support claims that the public is not sufficiently informed of the Council's work and what goes on behind the scenes.
We are also told that this has been the cause of the public's lack of interest in our affairs and the reason for some Councillors "playing to the gallery". I think it is high time that this Council considered producing a quarterly publication which would explain to the
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