TUESDAY, MAY 16, 1978
HOWEVER, HE SAID, IF THE APPELLANT OR ANY OTHER PARTY CONCERNED, AFTER HAVING BEEN DULY NOTIFIED, FAILS TO APPEAR AT THE HEARING WITH- CUT REASONABLE EXCUSE THE BOARD MAY PROCEED TO CONSIDER AND DETER- MINE THE MATTER IN HIS ABSENCE OR POSTPONE THE HEARING AT ITS DISCRETION.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID: +WHEN SITTING TO HEAR APPEALS, THE BOARD WILL CONSIST OF THE CHAIRMAN AND THE TWO MEMBERS.+
+ THE BOARD WILL DECIDE ON AN INDIVIDUAL APPEAL CASE BASED ON THE FACTS PRESENTED TO IT, AND ITS DECISION ON THAT CASE WILL BE FINAL ALTHOUGH IT WILL NOT CONSTITUTE A PRECEDENT EITHER FOR THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE OF FOR OTHER CASES COMING BEFORE THE BOARD.
+ THE DECISION OF THE BOARD IN EACH APPEAL CASE WILL BE NOTIFIED IN WRITING TO THE APPELLANT AND TO DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE,+ HE SAID.
IN ORDER TO FACILITATE ATTENDANCE AT HEARINGS, HE SAID. ARRANGE- MENTS WOULD BE MADE FOR TRAVELLING EXPENSES OF APPELLANTS TO DE REIMBURSED IF THEY SO WISH.
TRADE FIGURES FOR JANUARY-MARCH *****
THE VALUE OF HONG KONG'S DOMESTIC EXPORTS FOR THE FIRST THREE MONTHS OF THIS YEAR WAS $7,705 MILLION -- AN INCREASE
OF SIX PER CENT COMPARED WITH THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR, ACCORDING TO TRADE FIGURES RELEASED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY.
THE FIGURES ALSO SHOWED THAT THE VALUE OF IMPORTS ROSE BY 17.4 PER CENT TO $13,076 MILLION AND RE-EXPORTS UP 16.9 PER CENT TO $2,646 MILLION COMPARED WITH THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD LAST YEAR.
"THE FOLLOWING ..***