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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
the means to enjoy more physical recreation. Until comparatively recent times there was a terrible shortage of land and amenities for public recreation in urban areas; strangely enough, there was not much evidence that those then in power were convinced that the community at large should have the benefit of adequate recreational opportunities at public expense in fair and reasonable proportion to other calls on public resources. It is better now, with a change of mood, but still far from adequate. Indeed, in certain districts, even though we examine closely and at regular intervals our amenity zone plans and seek the co-operation of the authorities concerned, there is no alternative other than extensive land resumption. Moreover, in the older areas, only adjoining harbour reclamation will enable us to make a significant improvement in this very bad state of affairs. The community must be gravely concerned that so many children, forming such a high proportion of our population, have still to play in congested streets or not play at all.
The Council is anxious that the people who live in such high density and work so hard to make Hong Kong viable should not miss the benefit of rest and recreation. Any other modern community takes it for granted that its citizens must have access to good physical facilities and be able to join in carefully thought-out programmes to use them well, while here some of ours are said to be plagued by gangs and a few even tarnished by malpractice. Certainly, we will not give up our aim that every man, woman and child should be able to spend their leisure time in restful surroundings or in active recreation, all within easy reach of their homes. For, in particular, we believe in equality of opportunity for every child to play. Indeed, we accept it as a child's birthright. And, in urban Hong Kong's physical circumstances, only the public authorities can discharge this obligation properly. The Council will play its part as it has always done. Let the Government give us the land and the money we may need. And, let it not take away any sites reserved for community recreation when it suits its purpose to do so. Otherwise, all its professions of concern for our youth would become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal... Will the Government keep faith with the people?
PAPER
The following paper was laid on the table:—
Report to the Urban Council by the Director of Urban Services and Secretary, Urban Council, for the month of May, 1975.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
QUESTIONS
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(1) MR. PETER P. F. CHAN asked the following question (in English):
Copying machines are available in the British Council Library and in the American Library for unrestricted use at a normal fee. I observe that a Xerox machine is also installed in the Reference Libraries of the City Hall but use of that machine is refused on some occasions on grounds of the possible infringement of copyright of some of the books which the visitors may like to copy. May I know the policy in this matter? Has the attendant clerk in that library any training as to determine what is copyrighted and what is not?
MRS. E. ELLIOTT, CHAIRMAN OF THE LIBRARIES SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):
Mr. Chairman, this question deals with the use of photocopying facilities in the Council's libraries.
Coin-operated copying machines are provided at the City Hall and Yau Ma Tei reference libraries. The supply of copies made from books or other printed materials is governed by the Copyright (Libraries) Regulations 1973. Under these Regulations, permission from the holder of the copyright, if known, is required before a copy is supplied, except for materials in a periodical publication.
The Council's policy is that the Copyright (Libraries) Regulations should be strictly observed in respect of materials published in countries to which the Copyright Act 1956 has been applied, and that to be equitable, they should also apply to a certain extent, to materials published in countries not covered by the Copyright Act. Unrestricted use of copying machines by readers in a public library would be in breach of the Regulations.
The library staff responsible for the operation of the copying machines are fully aware of the provisions of the Regulations.
MR. CHAN (in English): Mr. Chairman, referring to the last sentence of Mrs. ELLIOTT's answer, may I have her assurance that the Clerks in our Libraries know exactly what is copyrighted and what is not?
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