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knowledge of that Department? That is why we cannot answer the question: "The Housing Department in Singapore earns and how its counter-part in Hong Kong loses?"
Urban Councillors have yet to find ways to learn more about the work and practices of other vital Departments such as:
Transport, P.W.D., Education, Fire Services Departments etc. The same lack of inside knowledge of other vital Departments could make a councillor impossible to answer a simple question like: "why in some elevators the figure 12 means the 12th floor where in others it means in fact the 13th floor?"
Finally, we need better mutual understanding among all Government Departments in order to serve our Community better and fulfill our Commitments better. In this respect, we firmly believe we have the sympathy and support of our community.
Mr. Chairman, I support your 1976 motion. Thank you.
MR. F. K. HU (in English):-Mr. Chairman, this Council has over the years since the City Hall was built increasingly extended its interest and activities in the arts. It can no longer be said that Hong Kong is a cultural desert, far from it. We have taken up the responsibility as patron of the arts seriously and have vigorously promoted entertainment, now both inside and outside the City Hall. Progress was made in many ways. The form of entertainment inside the City Hall can be briefly classified into four kinds :-
(i) Urban Council presentations
(ii) Urban Council joint presentation with Hong Kong Philharmonic Society
(iii) Urban Council joint presentation with consulates, cultural and non-profit making organizations
(iv) Exhibitions, etc.
We always gave great encouragement to local artists, specially young and talented artists, in sponsoring their performances at the City Hall. Since 1975, we have taken a more aggressive attitude in acting as impresario and bringing world renowned artists to Hong Kong. Initiative was taken together with neighbouring cities in jointly inviting famous artists and performing groups to this part of the world, which would be difficult for any individual city to undertake. 120 Urban Council presentations were organized by the Council in 1975. Taking part in the presentation series were 45 local artists, 43 local performing groups,
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We continued to give
28 overseas soloists and 18 overseas groups. our full support to the Hong Kong Philharmonic Society both in the field of management and finance. The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra performed regularly at the City Hall and gave 71 concerts in 1975.
We also gave great encouragement to the Philharmonic Orchestra to perform outside the City Hall in order to bring music to the people. I am pleased to note that the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra started its school visit programme in the later part of 1975. The response has been overwhelmingly favourable and it would take quite a number of years before the Orchestra can complete its first round of school visits. The Orchestra has greatly stimulated the local people's interest in serious music and we will certainly continue to give our fullest support to its worthy cause.
We always work closely with many cultural organizations in joint presentation programmes. Through such joint efforts the Hong Kong people is privileged to have the visit of many renowned artists, who would not have come to Hong Kong without such arrangements. In 1975, the Council spent nearly 2-million dollars on cultural presentations, including HK$900,000.00 and HK$300,000.00 subsidies to the Hong Kong Philharmonic Society and Hong Kong Arts Festival Society respectively and thus entertained nearly 240,000 people. We presented four exhibitions of arts and science at the City Hall Exhibition Hall and Exhibition Gallery. These proved to be very popular and drew an attendance of 72,615 people. The Council also organized during the summer a seminar on music composition, a series of lectures given by 12 local composers which drew a very enthusiastic audience. Entertainment Sub-Committee has been working hard in organizing programmes for the years to come and we can be sure of continuous visits from world renowned artists in future to further enrich the life of the Hong Kong people.
The Entertainment Sub-Committee continued to organize numerous entertainment programmes of great variety in public playgrounds, programmes catered to people in all walks of life, so that everyone can choose the programme to his or her own taste. Emphasis was made to revive interest in traditional arts which without the Council's support would have died. Cantonese dialogue was introduced into the Fukinese Puppet Show in order to make it more acceptable to the local people. The two days Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnival at Victoria Park drew a record attendance of 80,000 people, who watched dragon and lion dances, variety shows, Cantonese Opera, photo competition, fashion show, lantern riddles, fortune telling, chess demonstration and lantern parade. We again introduced the popular launch picnic and brought
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