TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1986
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$25 480 000 TO MEET THE SHORTFALL IN THE COST OF MAIL CONVEYANCE, PARTICULARLY BY AIR;
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$26 500 000 TO MEET THE INCREASE IN THE PRICE OF WATER FROM CHINA;
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$10 896 000 TO MEET GENERAL EXPENSES OF THE CIVIL SERVICE, AND
$141 556 000 FOR PAYMENT OF CIVIL SERVICE PENSIONS, RETIRING ALLOWANCES AND GRATUITIES.
THE FINANCE COMMITTEE WILL ALSO BE ASKED TO APPROVE A
NEW BASIS FOR CALCULATING EX-GRATIA ALLOWANCES TO RED WORM FARMERS, NEW RATES OF EX-GRATIA ALLOWANCE PAYABLE TO OPERATORS OF RED
WORM FARMS AFFECTED BY CLEARANCES, AND TO WAIVE THE CURRENT MAXIMUM COMPENSATION OF $50 000 A FARM.
CONTROL OF PRIVATE BILLIARD CLUBS URGED
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THE ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE OF THE PROVISIONAL REGIONAL COUNCIL TODAY EXPRESSED THE VIEW THAT PRIVATE BILLIARD CLUBS IN THE NON-URBAN AREAS SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO CONTROL.
HOWEVER, CLUBS WITH FIVE BILLIARD TABLES OR LESS, AND WHICH ARE CONSIDERED TO BE NON-PROFIT MAKING, SHOULD BE EXEMPTED.
SPEAKING AT THE MONTHLY MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR (HEADQUARTERS) OF THE REGIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, MR GEOFFREY ORR, SAID THAT THERE ARE AT PRESENT, 20 LICENSED PUBLIC BILLIARD SALOONS IN THE NON-URBAN AREAS PROVIDING A TOTAL OF 331 TABLES.
+ IN THE PAST TWO YEARS OR SO THERE HAS BEEN, THROUGHOUT HONG KONG, A RAPID GROWTH OF BILLIARD ESTABLISHMENTS UNDER THE NAME OF PRIVATE CLUBS,+ HE SAID.
+ALTHOUGH THESE CLUBS SERVE ONLY THEIR MEMBERS OR GUESTS OF MEMBERS, THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS NOT MATERIALLY BARRED FROM USING THE FACILITIES, AS MEMBERSHIP IS EASILY OBTAINABLE AT A NOMINAL FEE.+
A SURVEY CONDUCTED IN AUGUST LAST YEAR SHOWED THERE WERE 39 BILLIARD CLUBS IN THE NON-URBAN AREAS PROVIDING 454 TABLES.
THE EXISTENCE AND RAPID GROWTH OF THESE PRIVATE BILLIARD CLUBS, MR ORR SAID, HAVE RESULTED IN AN INEQUITABLE SITUATION.
/+AT PRESENT
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