TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1976
THEY CAN ALSO MAKE DIRECT ENQUIRIES BY WRITING TO THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT.
LOCAL CLIENTS CAN APPROACH ANY EMPLOYMENT SERVICE OFFICE OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT.
+ IN CERTAIN CASES WHERE NO SUITABLE JOBS ARE AVAILABLE WE WILL GO SO FAR AS TO HELP THEM ADVERTISE, WITHOUT CHARGE, OVER THE RADIO AND IN A LOCAL CHINESE NEWSPAPER WHICH HAS KINDLY OFFERED A FREE JOB ADVERTISEMENT COLUMN,+ MR. CHAN ADDED.
MR. CHAN INVITED ALL THOSE WHO WISH TO MAKE USE OF THE SERVICE OR TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE SPECIAL REGISTER TO RING 5-282523, EXTENSION 87, OR WRITE TO THE SPECIAL REGISTER', LABOUR DEPARTMENT, HONG KONG REGIONAL OFFICE, NEW RODNEY BLOCK, 99 QUEENSWAY, HONG KONG.
DROP IN NUMBER OF MARRIAGES
*****
THE NUMBER OF MARRIAGES REGISTERED IN 1975-76 AMOUNTED TO 36,479, WHICH WAS 1,077 LESS THAN THE RECORD FIGURE OF 37,556 IN 1974-75.
THE DECREASE MIGHT BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE FACT THAT 1975-76 HAPPENED TO BE A +BLIND YEAR+ IN THE CHINESE LUNAR CALENDAR WITH NO FIRST DAY OF SPRING (LAP CHUN) IN IT AND THEREFORE UNPOPULAR FOR MARRIAGES BETWEEN CHINESE.
OF THE TOTAL NUMBER REGISTERED, 34,110 MARRIAGES WERE PERFORMED IN REGISTRIES WHILE 2,369 WERE CELEBRATED IN LINCENSED PLACES OF WORSHIP OF VARIOUS DENOMINATIONS.
AMONG THESE, 36,203 WERE BETWEEN PARTIES OF CHINESE RACE, 56 WERE BETWEEN NON-CHINESE GROOMS AND CHINESE BRIDES AND 12 BETWEEN CHINESE GROOMS AND NON-CHINESE BRIDES AND THE REMAINING 208 WERE BETWEEN PARTIES BOTH OF WHOM WERE NON-CHINESE.
AS IN PREVIOUS YEARS, THE MOST POPULAR AGE GROUP FOR WIVES WAS 20-24 AND FOR HUSBANDS, IT WAS THE 25-29 GROUP.
THERE WERE 1,140 MEN AND 6,463 WOMEN WHO WERE UNDER 21 AT THE TIME OF REGISTRATION, AND THEREFORE REQUIRED THE CONSENT OF THEIR PARENTS OR GUARDIANS OR OF THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE OR THE REGISTRAR.
THE TOTAL NUMBER ALSO INCLUDED 5,387 +REMARRIAGES+, MEANING THAT THE COUPLES WERE ALREADY MARRIED BY CUSTOMARY CEREMONIES OF ONE KIND OR ANOTHER BUT REMARRIED NOW IN A REGISTRY IN ORDER TO OBTAIN A MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE.
OF THE NEW MARRIAGES THERE WERE THREE CASES IN WHICH THE AGE OF THE HUSBAND AND THE WIFE WAS BOTH IN THE 70 AND ABOVE, MAKING THEM THE OLDEST COUPLES OF THE YEAR.
AS FOR THE YOUNGEST, THERE WERE FIVE COUPLES WHO WERE ONLY 16 AT THE TIME OF THEIR MARRIAGES.
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