XN000022-1972-05-11 — Page 8

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Thursday, May 11, 1972

TOUGH ACTION AGAINST "SPACE GRABBERS"

Heavy Fines On Conviction

The Resettlement Department is taking tougher action against

"space grabbers" in its estates.

In recent months many convictions have been secured in the courts

against hawkers and shop tenants in resettlement estates who persist in

taking up more space than has been allocated to them.

"Such selfishness on the part of shopkeepers and hawkers must

be discouraged," a spokesman for the Resettlement Department said.

He added that not only do they deprive the tenants of open space,

which is already so scarce, they cause serious obstruction and make cleansing

difficult if not impossible.

The spokesman said that in a recent case at Wong Tai Sin, where

a rattan shop had taken over a large area of about 300 sq. ft. outside the

shop, the shopkeeper was convicted and fined $3,000. In addition he was bound

over in the sum of $2,000.

"Such prosecutions will continue in increasing numbers until

hawkers and shopkeepers recognise that they must co-operate or face the

consequences."

Recent clean-up campaigns in the estates have done a lot to give

back the open spaces around the blocks to the domestic tenants, but a

number of stall hawkers and shopkeepers refuse to keep within their boundaries

and have had to be prosecuted.

"Prosecution