SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1985
11
FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY, RETAIL TRADE GOING METRIC
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THE LOCAL FOOTWEAR MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY AND RETAIL TRADE ARE GOING METRIC.
MOST MANUFACTURERS ARE ALREADY USING A NEW METRIC CLASSIFICATION, KNOWN AS THE FRENCH SHOE SIZING SYSTEM AND RETAILERS ARE FOLLOWING THIS.
THE METRICATION COMMITTEE SECRETARIAT HAS SENT LETTER WITH CONVERSION CHARTS TO ALL SHOE RETAIL OUTLETS URGING THEM TO SPEED UP THE CHANGE.
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THE FRENCH SYSTEM ALSO KNOWN AS THE EUROPEAN CONTINENTAL SHOE SIZING SYSTEM IS THE ACCEPTED CLASSIFICATION IN THE EEC COUNTRIES, CHINA AND MOST OF THE WORLD.
UNDER THE SYSTEM, SHOE SIZES RANGE FROM 15 TO 46 WITH THREE SIZES FOR EVERY TWO CONSECUTIVE CENTIMETRES.
ONLY SLIGHT MODIFICATIONS OF EXISTING MACHINERY ARE
NECESSARY FOR THE CONVERSION.
AND TO HELP PROMOTE THE USE OF THE FRENCH SYSTEM, 7 500 SHOE SIZE RULERS HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO FOOTWEAR MANUFACTURERS AND RETAILERS.
A 'TREMENDOUS BURST' OF PLANTING
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THERE WAS A +TREMENDOUS BURST+ OF PLANTING THROUGHOUT THE CITY AREAS OF HONG KONG IN 1984-85, THE URBAN COUNCIL'S ANNUAL REPORT FOR LAST YEAR RECORDS. THE RESULTS: 22 000 NEW TREES, 1 250 BAMBOOS, 265 000 SHRUBS, 284 000 GROUND-COVER PLANTS, 4 440 CLIMBERS AND SOME 223 400 FLOWERING ANNUALS.
+THIS WAS BY FAR THE HIGHEST RATE OF PLANTING ACHIEVED IN ANY YEAR, + STATES THE REPORT. IT WAS THE CLIMAX OF A STEADY INCREASE IN OUTPUT WHICH HAS SEEN THE ANNUAL VOLUME OF PERMANENT LANDSCAPE PLANTING RAISED SOME 400 PER CENT ABOVE THAT ACHIEVED IN 1978+.
THE REPORT, RECENTLY PUBLISHED UNDER THE TITLE +INCOMPARABLE HONG KONG+, POINTS OUT THAT GREENERY AND NATURAL VEGETATION ARE A +TREASURED RESOURCE FOR THOSE WHOSE LIVES ARE SET MAINLY IN A CONTEXT OF TOWERING BLOCKS OF CONCRETE AND STEEL.+
/THE COUNCIL,