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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 1976
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IN THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, FOR EXAMPLE, THE PROGRAMME FOR METRICATION WAS BEING ADHERED TO AND THE TARGET DATES BEING MET.
THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY AND THE POLYTECHNIC WERE USING METRIC UNITS EXCLUSIVELY, AND THE SYSTEM HAD BEEN EXTENSIVELY INTRODUCED IN THE CURRICULA OF SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT HONG KONG.
IN ADDITION, THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT WAS NOW USING METRIC SYSTEM IN ALL NEW LEGISLATION. FOR EXAMPLE, THE DRAFT MOTOR VEHICLE CONSTRUCTION AND USE REGULATIONS NOW BEING PREPARED WOULD USE METRIC TERMS ALONGSIDE IMPERIAL MEASUREMENTS.
MR. MCDONALD ALSO POINTED OUT THAT PLANS HAD BEEN PREPARED FOR CHANGING ROAD SIGNS TO METRIC.
EARLIER, DR. THE HON. CHUNG SZE-YUEN URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO ACCEPT AND IMPLEMENT THE FINAL RECOMMENDATION OF THE METRICATION COMMITTEE SO THAT HONG KONG COULD GO AHEAD WITH FULL STEAM ON METRICATION WITH MINIMUM DELAY.
HE SAID THAT 99 PER CENT OF THE WORLD'S POPULATION HAD GONE OR WERE GOING METRIC.
WITH THE INCREASING USE OF THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM OF UNITS, GENERALLY KNOWN AS SI UNITS, HE SAID, THE DREAM OF WORLD STANDARDIZATION ON WEIGHTS AND MEASURES WOULD SOON COME TRUE AND A GREAT DEAL OF INEFFICIENCY AND WASTE RESULTING FROM THE PARALLEL USE OF TWO MAJOR SYSTEMS COULD ULTIMATELY BE ELIMINATED.
+THIS IS PARTICULARLY TRUE TO HONG KONG'S EXPORT-ORIENTED MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES,+ DR. CHUNG SAID.
ANOTHER UNOFFICIAL MEMBER, THE HON. JAMES WU, SAID WHILE THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE SOME INITIAL EXPENSES FOR THE CHANGE, THESE WOULD BE FAR OUTWEIGHED BY SUBSEQUENT BENEFITS.
HE AGREED THAT THE SPEED WITH WHICH HONG KONG COULD PROCEED WITH METRICATION WAS TO SOME EXTENT DICTATED BY THE DEMAND IN ITS MARKETS BUT NOW THAT THE UNITED STATES HAD DECIDED TO GO FULL STEAM AHEAD, THIS RESERVATION SHOULD HAVE BEEN REMOVED.
MR. WU SAID THAT IN A SURVEY BY THE FEDERATION OF HONG KONG INDUSTRIES, HONG KONG MANUFACTURERS, MANY OF WHOM HAVE BEEN USING PARALLEL SYSTEMS, SAID IT WOULD TAKE FROM ONE TO THREE YEARS FOR A COMPLETE CHANGE.
HE ASKED THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO APPROPRIATE A SUM
OF LESS THAN ONE MILLION DOLLARS IN THE FORTHCOMING BUDGET SO THAT THE METRICATION BOARD AND THE SECRETARIAT COULD BE SET UP AND GET ON WITH THE JOB WHICH HE DESCRIBED AS IMPORTANT TO +OUR COMMERCE, INDUSTRY AND DAILY LIFE.+
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