1960-01-27 — Page 6

Page

THE CHINA MAIL,

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 1960.

MILLION DOLLARS A MILE!

A million dollars a mile! This is the cost at which roads have been built in the New Territories, We have now 166 miles of road, 235 of military track and some 200 of concrete footpath which lead from main arteries to all the nooks and corners of obscure villages. This has been accomplished after 60 years of construction, at an average of three iniles a year.

This costly and slow pace of

volume of

Development is not surprising aner and a heavy when tre discovers that road-trame.

pranerlly work in the N.T. is "blasting work."

Being rocky and mountainous Sheer clins and jutting with spurs.

Lerroin the

presente natural hurdles, Road construc- lion means expensive rock blasting. higit embankments und retaining walls, bridges and dangerous passes.

Nevertheless there is already #world et difference in our road system today when com- pured to that of 50 years ago,

COMPARISON

There is also the expense of for private land compensation appropriated before the area is cleared for uctual work.

As Wont Txe-lut, an octagen arian in Yuen Long, put it: "In those

days, people used to trudge seven hours from Yuen Long to Kowloon to visit felende and relatives or make some pur

ehuse."

"Even the rich who could afford sedan chairs and to ride creaking on two six hours men's shoulders town Tawn

to

go

to

"It was not a smooth journey That is not all, for construc-

either, for then it was timpy tion has to be of a ugh tracks and

all the toolpaths standard Lo minimise main-

way-nuthing like the roads tenance austs, which would today, so sleek and broad, and otherwise be very high owing just one hour's bus ride from to torrential rains during sum- here to town."

THE NEW TERRITORIES STORY

By DAVID LAN

Mra Chi Kau-mui, a peasant woman on Lantao Island, who has trudged four miles over mountala rocks from her village, Pul 0, Lo galber supplies from Sliver Mine Bay

once a

week for the last 20 years, had her Arst ride on a bus on May 20, 1958,

DELIGHT

when a

That Was the date bus was put on a trial run on highway the newly completed

mountains from winding over

Shek Pik on Silver Mine Bay the island.

If one looks at a map show ing vegetable farms in the N.T., one will see how closely they

'Character merchandising'

hug the main roads for the transport of products to the market! Same thing with the factories along Castle Penk Road,

Tourists, too, gasp with de- light and get busy with their cameras, as they ride through a wonderland of mountains од one side and seascapes ather.

1-

But there are still many parts

of the New Territories which are still inaccessible—except by Importance of the New faint footpaths. With the growing

Terri tories in the lights of industrial and agricultural development, there is today a crying need for more roads.

Constructed before the war were the 57-mile Circular Road,

22-mlic the

rallway, Clear Water

Bay Road and the highway. from

Fanling to Shataukok.

Since the war, additional Toods have been built from Kam Tin to Sheung Shui and from Kam Tin to Talpo, Then. there is the famous "TWISK cutting Tipht acros Tai. Mo Shan from Taun Wan to Sek Kong.

- SATURDAY.

OUR SATELLITE TOWNS

develop the Castle Peak penin-

Kula.

This is why Government is and this is why some homes in pushing ahead with the scheme the N.T. are sta using keroseno for the Shek Pik Reservoir on lamps for lighting in our muclear

age. scheme that Lantpo Island, a

Electrical supply is available will cost $220,000,000 and tale five years 10 complete-adding in all principal towns and many gallons to the villages near the roads in the and 5,000 million

Chau Island, though the charge

for lighting, 37 conts per unit, s

In the north, A road to facilitate the transport of ag ricultural produce will link Tai po with Shatoukok via the coasts of Tolo Harbour occupation, The one leading to Flover Cove. Parts of it have Colony's storage capacity by the N. T., Lanton Island and Peng

bullt from both end of 1903. already been Sai Kung is now called Hiram's Highway.

However, at the present rate higher than the 28 cents charged In the centre of the N.T... an Under planning or already important road linking Talpo partial construction are with Taun Wan will be bullt via the following networks;

Lead Mine Pasa northwest Jublice Reservoir.

it

ends.

་

of

In the east, a loop is to run

In an effort to help develop along the coast from Sai Kung the N. T., the Hongkong und to Tai Lang thence along the Yaumati Ferry Co. Ltd, has evast to Three Fathom Cove, maintained forry services from then round the Hunch Backs to Hongkong to Pepe Chau, Silver jola-ultimately Talpo Road Mine Bay and Cheung Chau; to at Shatin, When completed, Tai O via Ma Wan, Castle Peak

our most and Tung Chung; and to this will be one of

Wan via Tsing Yi... beautiful roads,

BIG ISLAND

Teun

I also keeps on a Tolo Har- bour run-though at a loss.

.

of

Is

Another hurdlo which is gain- inarketing To facilitate

tion to our development agricultural produce from north as magnitude in direct propor- of Sai Kung, a road will be shortage of water, for Nature provided our country- tulit from Sai Kung to Three has not Fathom Cove, thence round Mu side with good rivers or lakes.

On Shan to Shatin.

PUSH AHEAD

In the south, another loop is to run round the island of Lantao,

To cope with the mounting from Mul Wo in Silver Mine demand, Government has been

of Increase in demand, it is in Kowloon. extimated that by the end of Colony will be stilt 1984 the short of 16 million gallons a day for full supply.

An

COMPLAINTS

Cheung Chau is the only So Government is looking to island that has its own power arm of the sea for help plant but the rate charged is lover Cove, a 2,750-acre inlet high-80 cents per unit,

This radica) in Tole Harbour,

for the Residents there are clameur- and daring pian calls

for a submarine cable conversion of the inlet toto a Ing fresh-water lake in seven to leading from Lantao Island to nine years' time to hold another Cheung Chau Istand for 29,060 million gallons. The pro- cheaper electricity supply,...........

tot estimated at $608,000,000.

B

These and many other points The scheme is subject to 'de- formed the complaints fodgod tailed mvestigation. If carried by the N.T. residents in the re

wil

quadruple

Com- the cent Electricity · Inquiry out, it present total storage capacity of mission to advise Government to 44,800 million on statutory control of the two the Colony

power companies in the Colony. gallons.

Is is understood that another Armed wi$11 representations fresh water lake, on the site of from rural committees nnch liebo Haven, 700 acres La arca members of similar bodies, Mr and 0,000 million gallons In D. K, Holmes, District Commis- sloner, New Territories, also sat eapuelty, is being planned,

in at sessions of the Commis

This is one bold way lo vault ston.

the

Herculean hurdle

Bay to Shek Pik (completed), building bigger and costlier re-ver

Nature has put in our race for- thence to Tai O, then along the servoirs in the New Territories. the development of Industry, voices of opinions of NT rei

will serve to

const to Tung Chung and

The first bir one, Jubilee Be- agriculture and survivo) return Silver Mino Bay. This servoir-holding 3.000 million Hongkong and the New develop the gallons-was completed in 1937 ritories. the island which is twice as large at a cost of $8,000,000. A bigger

as Hongkong.

one, Tal Lam Chang, costing $125,000,000 and capable of million allons holding 4,500 opened in 1987,

His role was to transmit the

Insidente for consideration by the Ter- Commission

On January 20, 1930, the

The Japanese

twe bullt military

during Iracks

QUICK TO CUT Commission came up with a re- occupation. One led to Tal Mo Shan where they had an

port in the Legislative Council, early-warning radar station In the west, still another loop

Speaking of development, have recommending public control of while the other led from Clear is to round the Carlle Peak

you ever been asked by any Water Bay Road to Sai Kung from San Hul to the foothills

Today, with 14 reservoirs and power company to pay $500 for the two power companies and for military operations against (completext), around the coast

a total storage capacity of 10,500 cach clectric pole erected to Lung Ku Tan, thence along million gallons, the Colony's lead power lines Injo guerillas then active in the area.

Your the establishment of a Hong- the shore to Lau Fau Shan rapidly growing population, in- home? These

kong Electricity Authority to two were so badly where part of the road has dustry and agriculture are still made that they were entirely been buill leading to Ping short of an adequate fresh water

This is exactly what N. T. re enforce it. reconstructed

re Shan on the Circahr Road to supply.

sidents have been experiencing,

niter the

to

3

New York. HAVE Just taken lesson on how to make HK$1,280,000 without lift- ing a finger.

My tencher? Actress Dobble Reynolds. The method? They call it

by KITTY DIXON

drew). Yet Miss Reynolds pays about HK$040 a dress for her personal wardrobe.

'Next doorʻ

The clothes are designed for girls of 17, Miss Reynolds ber- self is 27, the mother of two children,

But because Debbie Reynolds

character merchandising. To American manufacturer, is all the girl next door" to And it is one of the fasted character merchandising is a milion of teenagers, the manu- ways to make a dollar in million-dollar business in itself. facturers are convinced that her In 1950 alone, character mer name will bring them HC300 Amorlen today,

andising grossed 100 million million on the loco market,

Unfortunately, I will not dollars more thon HK$500 The man bebind the Debbie be taking a second lesson million--the largest sum eves. Reynolds promotion is Madison because I do not have the

beauty

Avansio's Allan Stone, who in

promoting "De-Hu

started with Disney also only important prere characters they made Mickey character merchandising In quisite: Box Office balt, Mouse toys. It got rolling along America and Britain in the form

Debble has it (in fact, alin is with

preparations of Ben-Hur toys. Number One Box Arlene Dahl tent her name to America's

character: "I prodlet that Omee attraction) which means cosmetics.

merchandising will be a big the HK$1,280,000 is hers, literally

And now it is mowballing, so in Britain as it is in the Badas for a smile.

That's about as much as, I they are introducing clothes to Tays, Mr Stone. intend to, promote 'Debbie Raynokia get for making a movie," Miss character merchandising, with fashion fr En datid, too;"

"Debbie Reynolds fashion,"

Well I have, hewa dir Mir Debble's fashions will not be Stone. Character merchandising In the mores until March. But began In' Britain, What are Miss feynolds showed me the Royal Warrapia, jr they are not election the other day: a com- a form of character race plete itae in teonage fashion chandising? cluding dress, coals, lingerie, The only BLUETORICE

Reynolds fold me.

Just smile

To her, character merchan- Using means lofting punc manufacturers use her zume for advertising purposes Apart

mat do for a five per cent out

from signing a contract, all the jewellery, and hosiery, 1 that the Queen doven't, get |

It is an Inexpensive une à five per cent cut. (about HK$140

party

of the product's wholesale profits imals for photographers

--{Lendèn kuptoh, derutaví.

PASSES HOWN

“If you 196 the Colonel tall him you!

olunteer

our armed forces by 1."

London"Excurès forties,