SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1975
MORE TURNING TO METRIC SYSTEM ******
MORE PEOPLE ARE MEASURING IN METRES AND WEIGHING IN KILOGRAMS ÁS HONG KONG'S METRICATION PROGRAMME SWINGS INTO HIGH GEAR.
METRIC, OR S.1. (SYSTEME INTERNATIONAL), UNITS ARE EASIER TO CALCULATÉ AND ARE INCREASINGLY BEING ADOPTED BY MOST COUNTRIES REPRESENTING ABOUT 95 PER CENT OF THE WORLD'S POPULATION, ACCORDING TO THE METRICATION OFFICER, MR. JIM MCGUINNIETY.
+IT IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL THEREFORE FOR HONG KONG, WITH SO MANY OVERSEAS CONTACTS, TO CHANGE OVER, HE SAID.
AN ENABLING BILL, WHICH WILL ALLOW THE GOVERNOR-IN-COUNCIL TO AMEND EXISTING NON-METRIC UNITS IN LEGISLATION AND TO PROMOTE THE USE OF METRIC, IS EXPECTED TO DE TABLED SOON AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
WITH THE ENACTMENT OF THIS LEGISLATION, THE GOVERNMENT IS EXPECTED TO ANNOUNCE THE SETTING UP OF A METRICATION AUTHORITY AND A SUPPORTING SECRETARIAT WHOSE TERMS OF REFERENCE WILL BE TO PLAN AND CO-ORDINATE THE CHANGE-OVER.
MEANWHILE, SEVERAL GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN WORKING STEADILY TO BRING ABOUT THE TRANSFORMATION.
IN THE FOREFRONT IS THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, WHICH HAS SET UP A SPECIAL METRICATION UNIT TO PROGRAMME, PROMOTE AND OVERSEE A SMOOTH TRANSITION TO THE METRIC SYSTEM IN PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMMES.
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ACQUISITION OF
THIS IS BEING ACHIEVED IN THREE PHASES DATA AND EQUIPMENT, TRAINING, AND IMPLEMENTATION.
+WORK ON THE FIRST PHASE IS AT PRESENT REACHING ITS PEAK,+ MR. MCGUINNIETY SAID, ALL MACHINES AND EQUIPMENT THE DEPARTMENT USES ARE NOW BEING CALIBRATED IN METRIC UNITS.+
AS FOR THE SECOND PHASE OF THE PROGRAMME, ABOUT 3,000 PROFESSIONAL, SEMI-PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL STAFF HAVE HAD INDUCTION COURSES AND TRAINING, AND A SERIES OF METRIC
INSTRUCTIONS NOW RUNNING TO THE 27TH ISSUE, HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED.
A NUMBER OF OTHER PAMPHLETS HAVE ALSO BEEN PREPARED BY THE METRICATION UNIT, THE LATEST OF WHICH IS A GLOSSARY OF S.I. TERMINOLOGY IN BOTH ENGLISH AND CHINESE, IT IS INTENDED THAT MOST OF THESE PUBLICATIONS WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE FOR SALE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
+THE FINAL PHASE, THAT IS IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SYSTEM, HAS BEEN WELL UNDER WAY SINCE JULY LAST YEAR,+ MR. MCGUINNIETY SAID.
+THE VARIOUS PWD OFFICES ARE NOW DESIGNING NEW PROJECTS IN METRIC AND LAND SALES IN METRIC WILL BE INTRODUCED FROM JULY THIS YEAR.
/>THE TOWN
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