XN000022-1974-10-03 — Page 3

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1974.

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REFERRING TO THE FAR-REACHING 10-YEAR PROGRAMMES COVERING HOUSING, EDUCATION, MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, SOCIAL WELFARE AND TRANSPORT, THE GOVERNOR SAID IT WAS THE GOVERNMENT'S PRINCIPAL WISH TO SEE THEM THROUGH TO FURTHER IMPROVE THE LIVING STANDARDS OF THE COMMUNITY.

HE WAS CONFIDENT THAT THE TARGETS COULD BE ACHIEVED, PROVIDED THAT INDUSTRY WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE ITS EXPANSION AND THAT SLACKEN- ING IN THE GROWTH OF WORLD TRADE WAS NOT ALLOWED TO GO TOO FAR, AND THAT HONG KONG EXPORTS WERE NOT STRANGLED BY PROTECTIONISM

IN THE DEVELOPED WORLD.

HE WAS AWARE, HOWEVER, THAT THE PROBLEM HAD BEEN IDENTIFIED AND THAT MANY GOVERNMENTS AND INSTITUTIONS WERE WORKING HARD TO SOLVE IT.

THE GOVERNOR TOLD THE DELEGATES THAT IN CONSIDERING THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF HONG KONG AND HOW MUCH MORE REMAINS TO BE DONE, TO BEAR IN MIND THAT EVERYTHING HAD BEEN DONE WITHOUT ANY OF THE MASSIVE AID THAT SO MANY OTHERS HAD RECEIVED AND WITHOUT ANY OF THE RAW MATERIAL RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO OTHER COUNTRIES. +YOU MAY THEREFORE CONCLUDE THAT THE POPULATION OF HONG KONG IS SECOND TO NONE.+

WATER SITUATION REPORT

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THE TOTAL WATER STORAGE IN ALL RESERVOIRS AS AT 9 AM TODAY (THURSDAY) STOOD AT 34,188 MILLION GALLONS, REPRESENTING 50.8 PER CENT OF THE FULL CAPACITY OF 67,300 MILLION GALLONS. AT THIS TIME LAST YEAR THERE WERE 65,301 MILLION GALLONS IN STORE.

THIS MORNING'S STORAGE AT PLOVER COVE WAS 26,291 MILLION GALLONS, COMPARED WITH 49,973 MILLION GALLONS ON THE SAME DAY LAST YEAR. PLOVER COVE'S PRESENT STORAGE REPRESENTS 52.1 PER CENT OF ITS FULL CAPACITY OF 50,500 MILLION GALLONS.

NO RAINFALL WAS RECORDED AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY DURING THE PAST 24 HOURS ENDING AT 9 AM TODAY. TOTAL RAINFALL RECORDED SO FAR THIS YEAR IS 1,372.7 MM (54.04 IN.

THE MEAN AVERAGE RAINFALL SINCE JANUARY 1 STANDS AT 2,010.5 MM (79.15 IN), REPRESENTING A SHORTFALL OF 31.7 PER CENT.

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