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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN.
CHAIRMAN:-Ladies and gentlemen, the meeting is called to order. Before passing on to the agenda, I would like to welcome back Mrs. SYMONS, Mr. Hu and Mr. P. F. CHAN on their return from leave. I would also like to thank you for the very warm welcome back you have given me in the form of an agenda with nineteen questions on it. (Laughter).
MINUTES.
The Minutes of the meeting held on 5th August, 1969, were confirmed.
PAPERS.
THE CHAIRMAN laid upon the table the following papers:
(1) Report on the work of the Urban Council and Urban Services Department for the month of August, 1969.
(2) Urban Council and Urban Services Department Publication on Hong Kong Trees.
CHAIRMAN: I refer to the very fine book on Hong Kong trees, which was received just before this meeting and which I am sure will be of great interest to all tree lovers and a great credit to the Council. I would like to pay tribute to the Deputy Director, Mr. WILSON, on whom the burden of the work fell in producing this very fine book.
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN: Mr. Chairman, as Chairman of the Hawker Policy Select Committee, I rise to make a few remarks.
During the past month, steps have been taken to organize the ten new Hawker Liaison Units. Each Liaison Unit will work in a C.D.O. area, and will comprise one hawker liaison officer, two overseers, one foreman, one ganger and eight labourers.
As soon as each Hawker Liaison Unit is fully manned, it is hoped that hawker matters will be co-ordinated and routine hawker problems settled at district level without recourse to the Council except where matters of policy are involved.
This innovation should make for greater flexibility and efficiency in the handling of hawker affairs.
Also during the month, the Hawker Policy Select Committee reviewed the future of the Pedlar Hawker. In view of the increasing use of our roads for motorized traffic I am afraid that the day may come when the unrestricted issuing of pedlar hawker licences will have to be discontinued.
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This matter is now being closely examined by the Urban Services Department.
The Hawker Policy Select Committee has also appointed an Ad Hoc Sub-Committee to review and to bring up-to-date existing legislation. This Committee is under the chairmanship of Mr. John BLAKER and will have its first meeting tomorrow morning.
Whilst I am on my feet I would also like, in my capacity as Chairman of the Health Education Select Committee, to make a statement about the Urban Services Health Education Section's participation in the Health and Public Safety Exhibition held in the Tak Ming School, Kowloon, by the Council of Hong Kong and Kowloon Kaifong Associations from 1st to 11th August, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day.
The Urban Services Health Education Section prepared two classrooms to illustrate pest control and public cleansing. In the pest control room emphasis was placed on the dangers from mosquitoes and flies and a display was mounted including photographs, charts and models, giving details of the life cycles of mosquitoes and flies, their breeding places, diseases which they may transmit and giving live and preserved specimens advice on suitable control measures.
Were displayed and films on the subject were shown.
The Public Cleansing Exhibition room drew attention to the many aspects of refuse collection and disposal by showing photographs and charts which gave details of refuse collection, delivery and disposal services, refuse collection vehicles and special cleansing squads and street washing teams. A model of the Kennedy Town Incineration Plant was displayed together with photographs and drawings aimed at discouraging litter, the dumping of refuse from upper floors and advising the correct methods of disposing of refuse and litter.
The exhibition was considered to have been a success judging by the large attendance and favourable comments made by the visitors. It is hoped that at the C.D.O. district level the points stressed at the exhibition by the Urban Services Health Education Section will continue to be emphasized in order to encourage the people to make Hong Kong a cleaner and healthier city.
MR. A. de O. SALES: --Mr. Chairman, because of the public interest in the many programmes which are organized for the recreation and entertainment of youth in Hong Kong, I think it is worth recording the tremendous amount of work done by your own Department in this direction. I am sure Council would like me to congratulate your Department on the 52 projects carried out in August. Six in the City Hall as popular concerts, and forty-six as listed in your Report, being band concerts, swim-ins, etc. This tremendous effort has been made
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