TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 1978
TOWN HALL MARKS TURNING POINT
IN TSUEN WAN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
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THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, SAID TODAY THE BUILDING OF THE $23 MILLION TSUEN WAN TOWN HALL MARKS A TURNING POINT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF TSUEN WAN AS A COMMUNITY.
+IT IS ALSO SYMBOLIC OF THE GOVERNMENT'S NEW POLICY IN THE NEW TERRITORIES AS A WHOLE,+ SIR MURRAY SAID AT THE FOUNDATION STONE LAYING CEREMONY OF THE TOWN HALL.
+THIS POLICY WALKS ON THREE LEGS: THE HEUNG YEE KUK AS THE ADVISER ABOUT NEW TERRITORIES AFFAIRS- THE MORE DIRECT ASSOCIATION OF RESIDENTS WITH THE ADMINISTRATION OF THEIR OWN TOWNS OR DISTRICTS THROUGH PARTICIPATION IN DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARDS AND THE PROVISION OF COMMUNITY CULTURAL AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES OF ALL SORTS UP TO STANDARDS NORMAL IN THE URBAN AREAS,+ SIR MURRAY SAID.
+ IT IS SYMPTOMATIC OF THIS POLICY THAT WHILE THIS HALL IS BEING BUILT, LONG-OVERDUE CONSTRUCTION OF THE MARKET IS UNDERWAY, THE YEUNG UK ROAD SPORTSGROUND IS BEING FLOODLIT, THE KWAI CHUNG SPORTSGROUND IS BEING CONSTRUCTED, AND THAT OF THE 26 SECONDARY SCHOOLS TO BE BUILT BY 1981, FOUR HAVE BEEN COMPLETED AND EIGHT ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION AT THE PRESENT TIME, HE ADDED.
SIR MURRAY ALSO SAID HE WAS DELIGHTED THAT TRADITIONAL LEADERS THE RURAL COMMITTEES - NEW SETTLERS, AND REPRESENTATIVE ORGANISATIONS HAD COME TOGETHER TO WORK FOR THE BENEFIT OF TSUEN WAN IN THE ADVISORY BOARD.
+1 COUNT ON IT TO PLAY AN INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT ROLE - ORGANISING PROGRAMMES OF ACTIVITY, SUGGESTING PRIORITIES FOR FUTURE GOVERNMENT EFFORT, STIMULATING THE CLEAN-UP OF THE DIRTY AND UNKEMPT CORNERS OF THE TOWN, AND GIVING CONSTRUCTIVE ADVICE ON ALL MANNER OF THINGS AFFECTING THE LIFE OF THE TOWN AND ITS PEOPLE, SIR MURRAY SAID.
+THE GOVERNMENT MUST HAVE THE ADVICE OF THE RESIDENTS IN ADMINISTERING AND DEVELOPING THIS LARGE NEW CITY.+
COMMENTING ON THE TOWN HALL, TO WHICH THE ROYAL HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB HAS CONTRIBUTED $10 MILLION, SIR MURRAY SAID THE COMPLEX WILL GIVE +SOCIAL AND CULTURAL FOCUS TO LIFE+ IN THE CONURBATION OF TSUEN WAN-KWA | CHUNG-TSING YI.
IT IS AN IMPROVED VERSION OF THE CONCERT HALL OF THE HONG KONG CITY HALL BUT WITH A BIGGER STAGE TO ACCOMMODATE OPERA, BALLET AND LARGER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAS.
WHEN IT IS OPENED BEFORE THE END OF NEXT YEAR, SIR MURRAY SAID THE TOWN HALL WOULD HAVE A NOTICEABLE TSUEN WAN PERSONALITY, +BECAUSE OF THE STIMULUS GIVEN BY THE ADVISORY BOARD IN PROMOTING A COMPETITION FOR AN EMBLEM AND FOR THE WALL DECORATIONS AND CARPETS.+
'THE CEREMONY