XN000022-1975-02-22 — Page 3

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1975

+THE TOWN PLANNING AND ARCHITECTURAL OFFICES ARE PRODUCING ALL NEW PLANS AND REPORTS IN METRIC AND MAPS ARE PROGRESSIVELY BEING PRODUCED USING METRES AND KILOMETRES INSTEAD OF FEET AND MILES.

+THE WATERWORKS, CIVIL ENGINEERING AND HIGHWAY OFFICES HAVE ALREADY LET CONTRACTS IN METRIC, INCLUDING ONE ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY IN TUEN MUN.

+AS FOR THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE, THE BUILDING ORDINANCE AND REGULATIONS ARE NOW BEING REVISED IN METRIC, AND FROM NEXT YEAR, BOTH IMPERIAL AND METRIC BUILDING PLANS WILL BE ACCEPTED BY THAT OFFICE. THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT PROGRAMME WILL REQUIRE THAT FROM JANUARY 1, 1977, ONLY METRIC PLANS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

THESE CHANGES WILL PERMEATE ALL LEVELS OF THE COMMUNITY SINCE A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE FROM ALL STATIONS OF LIFE ARE IN THE BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION TRADE, AND THEY WILL SOON BE REQUIRED TO USE METRIC TERMINOLOGY IN THEIR EVERYDAY DEALINGS.

THE METRICATION UNIT HAS ALSO BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURAL SOCIETIES AND PUBLIC UTILITY COMPANIES, AND THROUGH THE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME WITH OTHER GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, PARTICULARLY THE HOUSING, RATING AND VALUATION AND URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENTS.

+THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, AS FAR AS I KNOW, HAS CONVERTED PRIMARY SCHOOLS TO THE METRIC SYSTEM, AND TEXTBOOKS WRITTEN WITH IMPERIAL UNITS ARE PROGRESSIVELY BEING REPLACED WITH BOOKS IN METRIC PHRASEOLOGY. SECONDARY SCHOOLS TOO HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED TO THE METRIC SYSTEM, MR. MCGUINNIETY SAID.

+THE RELEVANT SECTIONS OF THIS YEAR'S SECONDARY SCHOOLS ENTRANCE EXAMINATION WILL FOR THE FIRST TIME BE CONDUCTED ENTIRELY IN METRIC.

+THE TWO UNIVERSITIES AND THE POLYTECHNIC HAVE ALSO ADOPTED THE METRIC SYSTEM IN THEIR TEACHINGS.

+PARENTS WHO HAVE BY NOW UNDOUBTEDLY BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO HEARING TERMS SUCH AS +DEGREES CELSIUS+ AND +MILLIMETRES+ THROUGH WEATHER REPORTS FROM THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY WILL SOON COME TO FURTHER METRIC KNOWLEDGE THROUGH THEIR CHILDREN, PARTICULARLY DURING HOMEWORK SESSIONS.

+IT MAY TAKE A LONGER TIME FOR THE TRADITIONAL HOUSEWIFE BUYING HER CATTY OF CABBAGE FROM THE STREET MARKET TO GET ACCUSTOMED TO THE KILOGRAM, BUT IF THERE IS PROPER PUBLICITY AND ASSURANCE THAT SHE WILL NOT BE CHEATED IN THE NEW AND BETTER SYSTEM, EXPERIENCE HAS SHOWN THAT CONSUMERS TOO WILL QUICKLY ACCEPT AND FINALLY PREFER THE METRIC SYSTEM,+ HE SAID.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

PHOTOGRAPHIC COPIES OF A POSTER URGING THOSE IN THE BUILDING TRADE TO THINK METIC' ARE BOXED FOR COLLECTION.

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