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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN
CHAIRMAN (in English): It is now 4 o'clock and I will call the meeting to order. Before we proceed with today's agenda, I would like to welcome Mr. BERNACCHI back from his holiday. Now that the Council's own holiday month is over, and our Senior Member, Mr. BERNACCHI is back, I hope the Elected Members will settle down to doing some serious work. (Laughter).
MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN (in English): Mr. Chairman, on a point of order. As you mention all the Elected Members, why not the Appointed Members as well?
MR. R. H. LOBO (in English): They always work anyway. (Laughter).
CHAIRMAN (in English): Mr. LOBO has given an adequate reply to that. (Laughter).
MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN (in English): Mr. LOBO did not, sir.
MINUTES
The minutes of the meeting held on 14th August, 1973 were confirmed.
STATEMENT BY CHAIRMAN
CHAIRMAN (in English): When I made my maiden speech on 2nd April, 1957, I said that it was my belief that deeds, not words should be the rule of conduct in this Council.
Indeed, it is by what we do in the service of the community that we are judged, not by what we say. For it is by our positive action that we can improve the state of our city, protect the health of our citizens and create the conditions which make living here more pleasant for all.
For this reason, the best public relations programme the Council can have is for all our select committees to carry out their respective assignments to the best of their ability and to the limit of their resources and for all Members to pull together in a strong and sustained collective effort for the common good. Nevertheless, it is necessary to relate Council's policies and programmes to the public interest in terms that
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are readily understandable by all and in a manner that will put them in proper perspective.
(Mr. Kenneth T. C. LO arrived at this point.)
"Public relations is no more than an attempt to assess public attitudes intelligently; it is no more than an attempt to identify plans I said so at that time. and procedures with the public interest".
I believe it is still so today.
We have given much thought to how we could communicate better with the general public. Not only do we want to help them with their problems as we are trying to do in our ward offices, for example, but we also wish to improve their understanding of what our problems really are and to let them know what is being done to solve them as well as to emphasize the important part the public has to play in the common desire to improve living conditions. We want to tell the public too what plans the Council has to expand existing services and to introduce new activities. To this end, to assist the Council, we have secured the services of experienced officers from the Department of Information Services and also engaged a well-respected and experienced consultant.
We have already produced a handbook giving basic information. It is available to the public. It is our intention to send copies to all electors in particular apart from public institutions and such other individuals and organizations as may wish to have them, in an effort to win the co-operation of the public at large. It is also our plan to produce eventually a house information paper in popular form. It is designed to stimulate more interest among our staff for what they and the Council together do, and to build up a better team spirit. It will also be made freely available to all media of communication.
Of course, whatever headway we may make in this direction has to be firmly based on actual services we render to the public. In this connection, I am well impressed by the sound work done in recent months by our select committees. They have been quick off the mark and I hope they will keep up the pace until the race is won.
PAPER
The following paper was laid on the table:
Report on the work of the Urban Council and Urban Services Department for the month of August 1973.
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