XN000022-1974-12-19 — Page 4

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1974

FESTIVAL OF HONG KONG 1975 POSTPONED

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THE NEXT FESTIVAL OF HONG KONG, ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 1975, HAS BEEN POSTPONED.

ANNOUNCING THIS DECISION TODAY, A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE TIMING OF THE NEXT FESTIVAL WILL BE CONSIDERED LATER NEXT YEAR.

PROGRAMMES FOR THE 1975 FESTIVAL WERE TO BE PLANNED ON THE BASIS OF GREATER INVOLVEMENT BY LARGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE AND GREATER PARTICIPATION BY THE PUBLIC.

AS A RESULT, MANY MORE VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS WOULD BE CONTRIBUTING TOWARDS THE COST OF THE FESTIVAL THAN IN PREVIOUS YEARS.

IN ADDITION, MANY INDUSTRIAL, COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL ORGANISATIONS WOULD HAVE BEEN SPONSORING THE VARIOUS ACTIVITIES.

+IT, IS THOUGHT THAT, IN THE PRESENT ECONOMIC CLIMATE, IT MAY NOT BE TIMELY TO EXPEND A SIZEABLE AMOUNT OF PUBLIC MONEY AND TO ASK FOR LARGE SCALE CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY.+ THE SPOKESMAN ADDED.

IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT THE FESTIVAL, PLANNED ON A BIGGER SCALE THAN THE PREVIOUS THREE FESTIVALS, WOULD COST ABOUT SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS, WITH GOVERNMENT CONTRIBUTING FIVE MILLION DOLLARS AND THE COMMUNITY THE REMAINDER.

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