THURSDAY, JULY 31, 1936
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DECISIONS ON AIR LICENCES ANNOUNCED
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THE AIR TRANSPORT LICENSING AUTHORITY TODAY (THURSDAY) ANNOUNCED ITS DECISIONS ON THE THREE LICENCE APPLICATIONS BY CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS AND THE ONE BY HONG KONG DRAGON AIRLINES WHICH WERE THE SUBJECT OF A PUBLIC INQUIRY STARTING ON JUNE 30,
CATHAY PACIFIC HAS BEEN GRANTED LICENCES TO SERVE AMSTERDAM AND MANCHESTER. DRAGONA IR'S APPLICATION FOR LICENCES TO OPERATE A SERVICE TO LONDON AND ANOTHER TO MANCHESTER AND AMSTERDAM, IN BOTH CASES VIA NEW DELHI OR SHARJAH, HAS BEEN REFUSED.
TEXTILE INDUSTRY MAKES GAINS IN FINISHING *****
THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY TRAINING BOARD OF THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL IS OPTIMISTIC THAT THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY WILL CONTINUE TO BE A MAJOR ECONOMIC SECTOR IN HONG KONG AND PROVIDE RELIABLE AND ESSENTIAL SUPPORT TO THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY, DESPITE THE DECLINE OF ITS WEAVING AND SPINNING BRANCHES IN THE LAST TWO YEARS.
AS A RESULT OF THE DECLINE OF THE TWO BRANCHES CAUSED BY SLUGGISH BUSINESS, PROTECTIONISM AND STRONG COMPETITION, THE TOTAL WORKFORCE OF THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY DROPPED BY 4 000 FROM 54 000 IN 1983 TO 50 000 IN 1985, ACCORDING TO A SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE BOARD LAST SEPTEMBER.
HOWEVER, EMPLOYMENT IN THE FINISHING BRANCH OF THE INDUSTRY HAD GROWN FROM 16 000 TO 18 000, THIS REPRESENTED AN ANNUAL INCREASE OF 6.8 PER CENT, A BOARD SPOKESMAN SAID.
THE BOARD NOTED IN ITS SURVEY REPORT THAT THE INCREASED DEMAND FOR DYED YARNS AND FINISHED FABRICS FROM THE LOCAL CLOTHING INDUSTRY AND FROM CHINA HAD CONTRIBUTED TO THE GROWTH OF MANPOWER IN THE FINISHING BRANCH.
THE BOARD CONSIDERED THAT THE FINISHING BRANCH, TOGETHER WITH THE KNITTING BRANCH, WOULD CONTINUE TO HAVE POTENTIAL FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT.
IN VIEW OF TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGES, THE BOARD STRESSED THAT THE INDUSTRY MUST INVEST IN MODERN PLANT AND MACHINERY TO IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY AND QUALITY SO AS TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE.
/+CONCOMITANT