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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1985
IN HIS STATEMENT, MR CHAN QUOTED SOME FIGURES WHICH VIVIDLY ILLUSTRATED HOW WIDESPREAD THE PROBLEM HAD BECOME AND HOW SAVAGELY THESE UNSCRUPULOUS BAR OPERATORS HAD GOUGED INTO THE POCKETS OF THE UNWARY.
+ONE PARTICULAR ESTABLISHMENT, APPARENTLY OPERATING MORE AS A DISCOTHEQUE THAN A BAR, HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN SIX ACCUSATIONS OF OVERCHARGING INVOLVING
US$6 000 AND HK$9 930 ANOTHER ESTABLISHMENT WHICH OPERATES AS A CLUB HAS BEEN NAMED IN 11 COMPLAINTS INVOLVING
HK$32 000 PLUS US$700 ANOTHER ESTABLISHMENT WHICH IS SIMPLY A BAR HAS BEEN NAMED IN EIGHT CHARGES OF OVERCHARGING INVOLVING HK$21 753 PLUS US$400.
+THE WORST OFFENDERS ARE NINE BARS AND OTHER ESTABLISHMENTS IN TSIM SHA TSUI WHICH HAVE BEEN NAMED IN A TOTAL OF 85 COMPLAINTS INVOLVING NO LESS THAN HK$202 191.80 AND US$8 100,+ HE SAID.
MR CHAN TOLD THE COUNCIL THAT THE BOARD HAS REQUESTED DETAILS OF ANY RIP-OFFS INVOLVING OTHER LICENSED PREMISES ON EITHER SIDE OF THE HARBOUR, AND A CLOSE WATCH IS BEING MADE TO SEE WHETHER THERE ARE OTHER OFFENDERS JOINING IN THE RIP-OFF GAME.
+THE ACTIONS OF THESE UNSCRUPULOUS OPERATORS HAVE DONE MUCH TO BESMIRCH THE REPUTATION OF HONG KONG AS A TOURIST ATTRACTION, SINCE THE BOARD NOW HAS INFORMATION THAT REPORTS HAVE BEEN PRINTED IN MANY OVERSEAS NEWSPAPERS WARNING WOULD-BE TOURIST ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING GROSSLY OVER-CHARGED AND, FURTHER, FACING INTIMIDATION AND THREATS IF THEY PATRONISE THESE BARS.
+THUS THE FINE NAME OF HONG KONG HAS BEEN DRAGGED IN THE MUD OF INTERNATIONAL PUBLICITY THANKS TO THE GREED AND UNSCRUPULOUSNESS OF A FEW SELFISH PEOPLE,+ HE ADDED.
COUNCIL TO INTENSIFY LIBRARY EXPANSION PROGRAMME
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THE URBAN COUNCIL HAS DECIDED TO INTENSIFY ITS LIBRARY EXPANSION PROGRAMME AND TO DEFER CONSIDERATION OF MORE SPECIALISED SERVICES SUCH AS TOY LIBRARIES TO A LATER DATE. WHEN THE NEED FOR MORE TRADITIONAL LIBRARY SERVICES IS MORE ADEQUATELY CATERED FOR.
THE VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE COUNCIL'S LIBRARIES SELECT COMMITTEE, MR LAM CHAK-PIU, SAID THIS TODAY AT THE COUNCIL'S OPEN MEETING IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY MISS CECILIA YEUNG CONCERNING THE PROVISION OF TOY LIBRARIES IN THE COUNCIL'S LIBRARIES.
/MR LAM