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FRIDAY, JUNE 30, 1978
WATER METER READER RETIRES
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A METER READER OF THE WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT WHO IS REVERENDLY CALLED THE +GRAND TEACHER+ BY MANY OF HIS COLLEAGUES RETIRED TODAY (FRIDAY) AFTER 30 YEARS OF SERVICE IN THE GOVERNMENT.
HE IS YR. HENRY YIP WAI-KEE, 55.
TO MARK HIS RETIREMENT, MR. CHAN STU-LEUNG, BUSINESS ANAGER OF THE DEPARTMENT, PRESENTED HIM WITH A GOLD HORSE STATLE A SYMEOL OF ENERGY AND GOOD HEALTH.
MR. YIP FIRST JOINED THE GOVERNMENT AS A JUNIOR METER READER IN 1948 AND ROSE TO HIS PRESENT RANK NINE YEARS LATER. HE IS MARRIED AND HAS FOUR CHILDREN.
IN PRESENTING THE GIFT, MR. CHAN SAID MR. YIP HAD WITNESSED THE DRAMATIC GROWTH OF THE DEPARTMENT SINCE THE END OF WORLD MAR JL.
+
HENRY, THE 'GRAND TEACHER', IN HIS 30 YEARS OF SERVICE IN THE DEPARTMENT HAS ACTUALLY WITNESSED THREE OCCASIONS OF OFFICE REMOVAL FROM ST. GEORGE'S BUILDING TO WINDSOR HOUSE, FROM WINDSOR HOUSE TO MURRAY BUILDING, AND FINALLY FROM MURRAY BUILDING TO LEIGHTON CENTRE,+ HE SAID.
+EACH TIME WE MOVED, WE MOVED TO A LARGER OFFICE AND THE REMOVALS INDEED MARK THE GROWTH OF THE DEPARTMENT, HE ADDED.
MR. CHAN RECALLED THAT AT THE TIME WHEN MR. YIP JOINED THE WATERWORKS OFFICE, THERE WERE 15 METER READERS WHO CARRIED CUT MONTHLY READINGS OF SEVERAL THOUSAND METERS THROUGHOUT ÔNG KONG.
+BUT NOW 30 YEARS LATER, + MR. CHAN ADDED, WE HAVE A STAFF OF MORE THAN 100 OFFICERS IN THE METER READING SECTION AND 200,000 INDIVIDUAL METERS IN SERVICE ON HONG KONG ISLAND, KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES.+
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