THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1974.
CALL FOR LOW-RENT HOUSING FOR WORKERS IN FUTURE INDUSTRIAL ESTATES
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A SCHEME FOR PROVIDING LOW-REMT HOUSING FOR WORKERS IN THE FUTURE INDUSTRIAL ESTATES WAS PROPOSED BY THE HON JAMES WU TODAY.
SPEAKING IN THE RESUMED DEBATE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, HE CALLED ON THE GOVERNMENT TO ALLOCATE SITES IN THE INDUSTRIAL ESTATES AT REALISTIC PREMIUMS OR RENTALS TO ENCOURAGE FACTORIES TO PROVIDE QUARTERS FOR THEIR WORKERS AT A SPECIFIED RATE OF RETURN FOR THEIR ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT WHICH WOULD AUGMENT THE GOVERNMENT'S HOUSING PROGRAMMES.
MR. WU SAID HE UNDERSTOOD THAT SUCH QUARTERS COULD BE BUILT AT A COST OF ADOUT $50 PER SQUARE FOOT OF FLOOR AREA, MAKING IT VERY ATTRACTIVE TO WORKERS AND INDUSTRIALISTS ALIKE.+
HE SUPPORTED AN EARLIER PROPOSAL FOR A SPECIAL CORPORATION TO HANDLE THE DETAILS OF THE INDUSTRIAL ESTATES SCHEME, BUT FELT THAT IT SHOULD BE MAINLY CONCERNED IN THE DECISION OF LEASE CONDITIONS AND THEIR SUBSEQUENT ENFORCEMENT, THE PROCESSING OF APPLICATIONS, GENERAL LAYOUT OF THE ESTATES, ROAD AND SEWAGE SYSTEMS, AND PROVISION FOR INSTALLATION OF UTILITIES.
+THE ACTUAL SITE FORMATION AND CONSTRUCTION WORK TO THE CORPORATION'S SPECIFICATIONS SHOULD BE UNDERTAKEN BY THE USER IN THE USUAL MANNER, HE SAID, STRESSING THE NEED FOR EARLY APPROVAL OF APPLICATIONS SO THAT USERS COULD GET ON WITH DETAIL PLANNING.
HE WELCOMED THE GOVERNMENT'S MOVE TO SPEED UP AND STREAMLINE PROCEDURES IN LAND EXCHANGES, AND PRESSED FOR EARLY PUBLICATION OF LAND USE PATTERNS TO STOP SPECULATION AND REDUCE THE CHANCES OF CORRUPTION.
WHILE HE FULLY SUPPORTED UNOFFICIALS' PROPOSALS FOR AN INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT BANK, MR. WU DIFFERED WITH THE DR. THE HON. CHUNG SZE-YUEN WHO HAD BLAMED THE HIGH COST OF CONSTRUCTION IN HONG KONG TO THE LACK OF COMPETITION HONG KONG'S EXPORTS FACED IN WORLD MARKETS.
IN MR. WU'S OPINION, THE PROBLEM WAS MORE LIKELY THAT THE CONTRACTING AND PIECE-WORK SYSTEMS PRACTISED HERE WERE NOT CONDUCIVE TO INNOVATIONS IN METHODS. +WITH PROJECTS GETTING LARGER AND REPETITIVE IN THE HOUSING FIELD, THE NEED FOR RATIONALISATION AND MECHANISATION IS MORE APPARENT, HE ADDED.
ON EDUCATION, KR. WU EMPHASISED THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING TECHNICAL TEACHER TRAINEES IN CONSTANT CONTACT WITH MODERN FACTORY PLANTS IN HONG KONG. +IN MY OPINION,+ HE SAID, LECTURERS IN SPECIAL COURSES WHO HAVE NOT COME NEAR A MODERN FACTORY IN THE TRADE FOR FIVE OR 10 YEARS OUGHT TO BE RETRAINED, AND ONLY UP-TO-DATE TEXT_AND_FACHINES SHOULD DE USE FOR TEACHING, WITH MORE COURSES RELATED TO MANUFACTURING.+
MR. WU SAID IT HAD TO BE ACCEPTED THAT EXAMINATIONS, AS NOW PRACTISED, +ARE NECESSARY EVILS, AND HE WAS GRATIFIED THAT THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT WAS CONDUCTING SPECIAL STUDIES TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT AND SCOPE OF EXAMINATIONS TO BRING ABOUT A FULLER EDUCATION.
/STRAIGHT PROMOTIONS
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