XN000022-1975-04-23 — Page 3

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 1975

AT THE SAME TIME, HOWEVER, HE FELT THAT THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY +WOULD NOT REALLY BE SERVING ITS PURPOSE IF THE REMAINING STAGES FOR THE FULL SYSTEM WERE NOT EVENTUALLY BUILT.+

DR. CHUNG SAID HE WAS AWARE THAT SOME OF HIS UNOFFICIAL COLLEAGUES HAD CERTAIN VIEWS ON CLAUSES IN THE BILL CONCERNING THE COMPOSITION OF THE BOARD OF THE MTR CORPORATION AND THE CORPORATION'S POWERS TO DETERMINE FARES.

IT WAS FELT, HE SAID, THAT IN VIEW OF THE LARGE SUM OF PUBLIC MONEY INVOLVED IN THE MTR PROJECT, AT LEAST ONE OR EVEN TWO UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SHOULD BE EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS ON THE BOARD OF THE CORPORATION.

ON THE QUESTION OF FARES, DR. CHUNG SAID IT WAS RECOGNISED THAT THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL COULD OVERRULE THE CORPORATION'S DECISIONS IN THIS REGARD. +HOWEVER, IT IS BELIEVED THAT IN AN INCREASINGLY DEMOCRATIC AND SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS SOCIETY LIKE HONG KONG, POLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS ARE AS IMPORTANT AS FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS IN THE DETERMINATION OF MTR FARES. AND THAT IT WOULD BE MORE DESIRABLE TO FIX AND REVISE MTR FARES THROUGH OPEN DEBATE IN THIS COUNCIL RATHER THAN BY THE GOVERNOR-IN-COUNCIL IN CAMERA.+

IN PASSING, DR. CHUNG NOTED THAT ONE CLAUSE IN THE BILL DEALING WITH GUARANTEE BY GOVERNMENT WOULD BE AMENDED TO ENABLE THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, RATHER THAN THE GOVERNOR-1N-COUNCIL, TO AUTHORISE THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO GRANT GUARANTEE IN RESPECT OF THE MTR CORPORATION'S DEBTS.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

COPIES OF THE HON. LO TAK-SHING'S SPEECH ARE BOXED FOR COLLECTION.

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