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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1975
GOVERNOR SEES HAWKING AS A LONG TERM PROBLEM
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THE HAWKER PERMITTED AREA SCHEME WAS A REALISTIC MOVE TO PROVIDE MORE AND MORE CONCENTRATED FACILITIES FOR HAWKING. THE GOVERNOR SAID IN HIS ADDRESS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THIS AFTERNOON.
ITS ADMINISTRATION HOWEVER WAS MADE MORE DIFFICULT BY ITS COINCIDENCE WITH THE RECESSION AND THE GREATLY INCREASED NUMBERS OF PEOPLE COMPELLED TO SEEK A LIVING BY HAWKING, HE SAID.
WITH THE EXCEPTION OF VERY GREAT DIFFICULTIES IN ONE AREA, WHICH ARE AT THE MOMENT BEING CONTAINED, THE SCHEME HAS BEEN A USEFUL EXPERIMENT FROM WHICH MUCH HAS BEEN LEARNED, HE SAID.
HE DESCRIBED HAWKING AS A LONG TERM PROBLEM WHICH COULD ONLY BE SOLVED BY RISING PROSPERITY WHICH OFFERED BETTER ALTERNATIVE EMPLOYMENT AND BY THE PROGRESSIVE CONSTRUCTION OF OFF-STREET FACILITIES.
IN OTHER AREAS OF URBAN COUNCIL WORK, SIR MURRAY NOTED VAST IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CLEANLINESS AND ATTRACTIVENESS
OF THE ENVIRONMENT, ESPECIALLY ON THE BEACHES, AND IN THE CLEANSING SERVICES THEMSELVES. BUT THERE WAS STILL ROOM FOR CONSIDERABLE IMPROVEMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF LITTER CARELESS PEOPLE DROPPED IN THE STREETS.
SIR MURRAY WAS DELIGHTED BY THE STEADY ENCOURAGEMENT THE COUNCIL WAS GIVING TO THE ARTS AND BY THE BREADTH AND IMAGINATION OF ITS APPROACH. WITH ENTHUSIASM AND SUPPORT BY PRIVATE PEOPLE AND FIRMS, HE SAID, IT WAS NOW POSSIBLE TO BEGIN TO THINK OF HONG KONG AS AN ARTISTIC CENTRE.
SIR MURRAY SAID HE WOULD NOT ATTEMPT A FULL REVIEW OF THE COUNCIL'S WORK, BUT IT IS EVOLVING ITS OWN PERSONALITY AND STYLE, AND IS TACKLING ITS MANY-SIDED JOB WITH A VIGOUR AND DISTINCTION FROM WHICH HONG KONG HAS GREATLY BENEFITTED,+ HE SAID.
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