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are happy that this Council, after approving the cemeteries policy recently, do contribute towards the lowering of the cost of dying.
Non-Chinese members of this Council and of this community may probably not understand how the Chinese feel about death. Like Christians, most of them believe in eternal life in heaven, especially older people, and when one knows that he is dying. People always say it is a blessing of God to have a peaceful death in bed, which will compensate for hard sufferings during lifetime. People also believe in lying in peace after death. For peace, it means "without being disturbed", therefore people generally like a permanent burial whenever they can make provision for it in lifetime or whenever they can afford it for their ancestors. A decent coffin, a decent place of burial, and a decent funeral ceremony always cost a fortune and may, on many occasions, exhaust the savings of a lifetime.
As Urban Councillors, perhaps we cannot help very much to change the habits and customs and to lower the costs of funeral services and the cost of coffins except by encouraging cremation, but we are quite in a position to keep the cost of burial grounds low. Years ago, when the Board of Management of the Permanent Chinese Cemeteries failed to provide, due to technical reasons, adequate grave plots for the members of this community who desired to bury their dead permanently, grave plots were subjected to profiteering with a black market price of $4,000.00 to $5,000.00 or more for one plot in other cemeteries. With the availability of more grave plots in Chai Wan and Chuen Wan recently, there was less profiteering, but I had been told that persons wishing to obtain a grave plot urgently, it is always urgent if I may say so, in certain cemeteries were still subjected to profiteering in some form. The latest market price I checked last night was 50% over the official price of the plot. Such premium was in the form of a donation to a good cause, a very good cause indeed, either a school or hospital or some charitable project. I do believe in such good causes, but the grant of a plot at the time of grief in consideration of a so-called voluntary donation, where otherwise such donation would never have been given, is simple extortion.
I am glad, however, that what I said was yesterday's history, but this may possibly happen again. Therefore, I would like to see that the Cemeteries By-laws will be amended firstly to fix the value of the grave plots of private cemeteries, of course, taking into consideration all economic factors; secondly, to require the management of cemeteries to make a statutory return of the availability of grave plots; and thirdly, to compel automatic allocation on application for genuine burial. There was an argument with a number of operators that a cemetery operated by a religious group did not wish to take in bodies who, at their lifetime, did not have that particular religious belief. If the dead man is admitted officially into that religion and solemnized as such, I see no reason for any objection to automatic allocation.
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time did not have that particular religious belief. If the dead man is admitted officially into that religion and solemnized as such, I see no reason for any objection to automatic allocation.
Road Safety
Speaking on deaths, there is one each day on our roads. These are, of course, according to statistics, caused by a lack of responsibility and civic consciousness on the part of the public, especially the pedestrians. Therefore, there is always a need to educate people in matters that concern their safety and the safety of others on the roads. The Government, in this respect, is lagging behind a little bit, in that there is only one Road Safety Officer in the Police Force with inadequate men at his disposal, and that, I am told, the design of road crossings in many cases aims for the convenience of the car users rather than the pedestrians. With road safety campaigns in full force this year, I understand that Government is considering improving the situation. I would like to see that effective steps be taken with the minimum delay.
To prevent more traffic accidents, I endeavour to suggest to the Police authorities to concentrate more attention on watching careless and inconsiderate drivers on pedestrian crossings. The law should be amended to the effect that, on being found guilty, the licence of the drivers concerned should be suspended for a suitable period of time as determined by the magistrates. This way, the drivers have something to lose, and I am sure that accidents will be cut down in this way. I further suggest that the personnel originally sent out to spot parking offences should be completely deployed for such purposes, and that parking without apparent obstructions should be viewed more liberally by police constables on the ground. This will make the public love the police more.
City Hall
As many children, may be more than adults, use the facilities of our City Hall, I like to see that there will be a soft drink bar in some part of the premises for use of the children. The catering services at the ground floor of the lower block now available aim at serving adults during the recess time of concerts, to serve adult visitors, and to serve family groups led by adults. The cost of soft drinks there is prohibitive to many children and students in the lower income groups. The soft drink bar which I have in mind must be able to serve children (and children only) at normal prices as in the streets, or may be even at lower prices if an arrangement may be reached with some popular soft drink manufacturers, in exchange for acceptable publicity.
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