CO129-616-6 Hotels Ordinance- 1949 21-2-1949 - 21-2-1949 — Page 66

HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

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are affected. Actually it is a good deal more than 300, for it does not follow that because only that number replied to the questionnaire the remainder were content. Local apathy could account for a good portion of the difference. But even if only 300 odd were affected they deserve consideration. They represent a very important factor in the ruming of the Colony. Their work is bound to be affected if they suffer physical discomfort and financial anxiety and I see no reason why in the present abnormal housing circumstances they should not receive some protection. They have been grossly exploited. In company with my colleagues of the Committee I visited some of the less pretentious hotels and frankly 1 was appalled at what I saw. Dark and shabby roots, not a few having originally been servants' quarters or bath-rooms, were let at $20 or more a lar. Some residents had gone to the expense of providing furniture to supplement the rickety rattan chairs and tables which the management had pro- vided. There was plenty of evidence that the occupants had done something to create a homelike atmosphere but the result was pathetic. The work of the Committee was hampered by the non-production of accounts and apart from the hotels we grouped under "A", there were only one or two cases where proper accounts were rendered and they made it clear to us that the proprietors were not doing at all badly.

1 consider that this bill is fully justified. I hope it will not be necessary to extend it beyond the end of 1950, but unless the supply of housing overtakes the demand an extension may be inevitable. I contend that the section of the community who are affected by this bill should have been relieved long before this. Their hopes were raised at the end of July only to be dashed a few days later. They have been kept in suspense for over six months and the least this Council can do is to implement this Ordinance without further delay. I hope it will be enacted irrespective of the petition which is being presented to the Secretary of State for the Colonies. To my mind the petition is a misleading document and it will be a scandal if it is allowed to hold up the Ordinance.

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL:-Your Excellency, arising out of the debate which has already taken place on this the motion for the Second reading of the Bill, I would like to endeavour to wind up the debate by treating lightly and perhaps inadequately with certain points which have emerged from the speeches of the Honourable Members to which we have just listened. The Honourable Member, Mr. Cassidy, hus touched on one point, I think only one point in actual criticism of the Bill, and that is the Bill does not go the whole way in giving effect to the recommendation of the Committee, that there should be a Board of Review or Appeal. The Honourable Member has in fact answered or given the reasons why the Bill merely provides for a form of arbitration in one respect, and it does so because it is only on the question of what accommodation should go into reserve allocation that it should be accepted that there should be any con- troversy in the working of the Bill upon its enactment.

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