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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
we are
cultures, their history and new scientific discoveries. Hopefully stimulating as well as educating generations of youth beyond the narrow confines of their immediate environment. For the increasing number of senior citizens in our population who find time heavy on their hands, the Museum and their free extension activities can help them pass pleasurable hours enjoying interesting works of art, artifacts and listening to talks by specialists in the: fields of work and film shows etc. The Museum of Art also encourages lo artists and sculptors by exhibiting and purchasing some of their works for collection. The Space Museum came under the wing of the Museums Sec Committee during the year and a review was carried out to improve operations. We now only charge admission to the Space Theatre with f admission to the Solar Halls and Exhibition. Visitors to the latter has increased by 30% in December compared to the same month in 1982. N opening hours for the Space Museum are 2.00 p.m. to 10.00 p.m. Engli language cassettes are available for hire when the shows are in Cantones dialogue so that English speakers need not wait for the less frequent Engis language shows. Extension activities which include telescope making dra many young people. We are pressing ahead with the temporary Museum Science and Technology and of the Museum of Art. Popularity of science Hong Kong was again proven when the recent Science in Action Exhibition City Hall was attended by record crowds.
Naturally all these activities cost money. I am conscious that the Museum Select Committee spends ratepayers money and in return obtain very little revenue on the sale of publications and sky shows. Therefore, in these days financial stringency when we are exhorted to economize and to find funds, ; propose to improve and expand the bookshops and increase the articles and publications offered for sale. Previously the Museum bookshops in Hong Kong had been neglected, but every Museum administrator overseas whom we have contacted, has emphasized their importance in spreading knowledge and in earning revenue. More needs to be done here and we will be pushing this with vigour. As a start, when the Flagstaff House Museum of Teaware open- on the 27th of this month, teaware will be on sale in its bookshop which situated in an eye catching position rather than apologetically tucked away in. dim closet.
Apart from the displays of the Museums' own in-house collections the year has seen many exhibits from abroad. I will not enumerate them all, but the have come from as near as the People Republic of China and as far away India, Britain, U.S.A. and Denmark. I would like to pay a tribute to the man institutions and organizations which have given us help, to the Consular Cor in Hong Kong and to the British Council who have worked hard to obtar exhibitions for us. We are fortunate to have very dedicated staff in the three Museums and in the Science Museum under planning, and I take th opportunity to express our thanks to them all.
Turning to
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only was one District Library, opened in Aberdeen in 1983 but a small static library was opened in Mong Kok and an Art Library in the Art Centre. The Council is pursuing a policy of bringing books within easy reach of many people by siting small lending libraries in dense population centres. In addition, varied extension activities ranging from ribbon flower making, to talks on medical subjects and film shows etc. have been organized by Library staff. The District Library at the Aberdeen Centre is the first of many, we hope, to be built within Urban Council complexes. It was deliberately situated within a building which houses a large market, sports halls and recreation facilities close to new blocks af flats in what was the former drydock. As the library was specially designed, apart from quiet sections for adults to read newspapers and magazines, and to borrow books, there is an attractive area for children where staff hold regular sessions for children including story telling. This not only introduces young mands to the wonderful world of books, but enables harassed young mothers to leave their children in the Library safely whilst they do their marketing or find relaxation themselves in joining other extension activities such as just listening tapes in the soundproof cassette room. In our community where homes are small and where increasingly, young married couples live far away from their parents or older relatives, young mothers are often left all day to cope with infants and young children alone. The demands on them mentally and
physically are tremendous.
A breathing spell away from these pressures can only be conducive to better mental health. The experiment now going on at Aberdeen will provide guidelines in future library development. The library staff are keen and some have received training overseas and have seen how other places improve and enhance their libraries service to the public. Every priority should therefore be given to development of these complexes which house so many activities which directly affect the welfare of our people. If money is short, I suggest that some of the vast sums the Council spends on free or heavily subsidized entertainment at so many different venues should be diverted to these basic services. A policy review of the Council's spending and commitment on the different sphere is due and I would recommend an in depth review during 1984 to cut down circuses but provide more bread.
I am alarmed that about $35 million will be spent by the Government for the Electronic Road Pricing Pilot Scheme. In this, I agree with Mrs. ELLIOTT in spite of her pointed attack on Appointed Members of which I am one. This system does not appear to have been satisfactorily tested on road vehicles anywhere in the world. I hasten to add that up to the present, it has not been discussed by the Transport Advisory Committee. As far as I am aware, it had been used on British Railways where trains run on fixed tracks in totally different operational conditions. Whilst Hong Kong has a reputation of being unique I am chary of its being used as a guinea pig to try out a prototype scheme still under development.
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