THURSDAY, MAY 19, 1983
LATER THIS YEAR, THE NURSERY WILL ALSO BE EQUIPPED WITH A DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTÉM CAPABLE OF CONSERVING WATER AND ACCELERATING PLANT GROWTH.
THE CHIEF SECRETARY STARTED OFF HIS AFTERNOON PROGRAMME WITH A VISIT TO THE DIAMOND HILL CREMATORIUM WHERE HE WAS BRIEFED AND SHOWN AROUND BY THE DIRECTOR OF CITY SERVICES, MR ERIC PEAKE.
HE WAS TOLD THAT TRADITIONAL PRACTICE OF BURYING THE DEAD IS GRADUALLY GIVING WAY TO CREMATIONS UNDER ACTIVE ENCOURAGEMENT FROM THE URBAN COUNCIL AND DUE TO THE SCARCITY OF LAND.
ACCORDING TO STATISTICS, THE RATIO OF CREMATIONS TO BURIALS IN 1982-83 STOOD AT 60:40 COMPARED WITH 57:43 IN 1981-82 AND THE URBAN COUNCIL HOPES TO ACHIEVE A TARGET OF 65 CREMATIONS TO 35 BURIALS BY 1985.
THE DIAMOND HILL CREMATORIUM, SIR PHILIP WAS TOLD, IS ONE OF THE TWO CREMATORIA OPERATED BY THE COUNCIL IN THE URBAN AREAS. IT PROVIDES SOME 4 600 NICHES AND IS ALREADY FULLY OCCUPIED. HOWEVER, PLANS ARE IN HAND TO PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL 1 980 NICHES EARLY NEXT YEAR, TWO ADDITIONAL CREMATORS BY 1985 AND AN EIGHT- STOREY COLUMBARIUM WITH 36 000 NICHES BY 1986.
FEBRUARY SURVEY OF RETAIL SALES ****
THE VALUE OF RETAIL SALES FOR THE RETAIL TRADE SECTOR IN FEBRUARY 1983 WAS ESTIMATED TO BE $4 233 MILLION, ACCORDING TO THE PROVISIONAL SURVEY RESULTS RELEASED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY.
AT 125, THE OVERALL RETAIL SALES VALUE INDEX FOR FEBRUARY 1983 DECREASED BY 12 POINTS OR NINE PER CENT WHEN COMPARED WITH JANUARY 1983, BUT INCREASED BY 15 POINTS OR 14 PER CENT WHEN COMPARED WITH FEBRUARY 1982,
AT THE OVERALL RETAIL SALES VOLUME INDEX FOR FEBRUARY 1983, 98, WAS 12 POINTS OR 11 PER CENT LOWER THAN THAT FOR JANUARY 1983, BUT IT WAS FIVE POINTS OR FIVE PER CENT HIGHER THAN THAT FOR FEBRUARY 1982.
COMPARED WITH JANUARY 1983, RETAIL SALES OF SUPERMARKETS INCREASED BY 30 PER CENT IN VALUE TERMS OR 28 PER CENT IN VOLUME TERMS. WHILE THE VALUE OF RETAIL SALES OF FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO INCREASED BY TWO PER CENT, THE IR SALES BY VOLUME DECREASED BY THREE PER CENT. THE VALUE AND VOLUME OF RETAIL SALES FOR THE OTHER MAJOR TRADE GROUPS AND SELECTED TRADES DECLINED.
/RETAIL SALES