XN000022-1974-09-25 — Page 6

4

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1974

5

-

COMPUTER FOR HOUSING DEPT.

******

THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT WILL HAVE ITS OWN COMPUTER IN ABOUT TWO MONTHS.

1

A CONTRACT WORTH $250,000, FOR THE SUPPLY AND INSTALLATION OF A SMALL COMPUTER WITH AN AUTOMATIC PLOTTER WAS SIGNED TODAY BY MR. RICHARD NORMAN, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF HOUSING, AND MR. JOHN FUNG, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE WANG PACIFIC LTD.

THE COMPUTER IS CAPABLE OF WORKING OUT STRUCTURAL CALCULATION AND PLOTTING OF ENGINEERING DRAWINGS, AND WILL BE INDISPENSIBLE IN TACKLING SOME ENGINEERING PROBLEMS THAT CAN ONLY BE ATTEMPTED BY THE USE OF A COMPUTER.

AT PRESENT, THE DEPARTMENT'S TECHNICAL STAFF HAS TO MAKE USE OF THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT COMPUTER FROM TIME TO TIME TO WORK OUT INTRICATE MATHEMATICAL AND ENGINEERING PROBLEMS AND TO QUICKEN UP CALCULATION WORKS.

+ THE COMPUTER WILL BE INVALUABLE TO THE DEPARTMENT AS THE 10-YEAR HOUSING PROGRAMME GATHERS MOMENTUM, AND THE WORKLOAD INCREASES LIKEWISE,+ A DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID. +AT THE SAME TIME, IT WILL HELP SOLVE THE SHORTAGE OF DRAFTSMEN AND RESULT IN AN OVERALL SAVING.+

AT PRESENT, ONE ENGINEERING ASSISTANT PRODUCES ABOUT FIVE DRAWINGS IN A MONTH. THE COMPUTER PLOTTER CAN PRODUCE TWO

DRAWINGS A DAY.

SEMINAR ON SUMMER PROGRAMMES

*****

A REVIEW OF THE 1974 SUMMER YOUTH PROGRAMMES HELD IN SAU MAU PING DISTRICT WILL BE DISCUSSED AT A SEMINAR TOMORROW (THURSDAY) AT 8.30 P.M.

THE SEMINAR WILL BE HELD AT THE SAU MAU PING (SOUTH) ESTATE WELFARE BUILDING. IT IS JOINTLY ORGANISED BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT'S COMMUNITY WORK OFFICE IN THE DISTRICT TOGETHER WITH OTHER WELFARE ORGANISATIONS WHICH RAN THE SUMMER YOUTH PROGRAMMES.

SOME 120 YOUTHS, VOLUNTEERS, PARENTS AND ORGANISERS HAVE

BEEN INVITED TO JOIN THE DISCUSSION.

IT WILL PROVIDE A CHANGE FOR THEM TO PROMOTE CO-ORDINATION, ASSESS THE NEEDS OF SUMMER ACTIVITIES, AND EXCHANGE IDEAS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE 1975 SUMMER PROGRAMMES.

16