XN000022-1976-02-10 — Page 3

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1976

IN TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT, THE TWO LARGEST INDUSTRY GROUPS REMAINED WEARING APPAREL (238,958) AND TEXTILES (112,922). ELECTRICAL MACHINERY, APPLIANCES AND SUPPLIES (66,353) HAS REGAINED FROM PLASTIC PRODUCTS (63,706) AS THE THIRD LARGEST INDUSTRY GROUP WHILE FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS (57,322) WAS STILL IN THE FIFTH POSITION.

WHEN COMPARED WITH A TOTAL OF 600,128 PERSONS ENGAGED IN DECEMBER 1974, THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION IN MANUFACTURING ESTABLISHMENTS IN DECEMBER 1975 WAS HIGHER BY 79,000 PERSONS OR 13 PER CENT.

THE GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN ALSO NOTED THAT THE LABOUR FORCE SURVEY LAST SEPTEMBER WAS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND AND THUS HAD NO REAL BASIS FOR COMPARISON WITH ANYTHING ELSE, EXCEPT POSSIBLY THE 1971 POPULATION CENSUS WHICH WAS HOWEVER REMOVED AT A FAR DISTANCE OF TIME. A SIMILAR LABOUR FORCE SURVEY WILL BE CONDUCTED IN MARCH 1976 AND SUBJECT TO CONSIDERATIONS OF SEASONALITY, THERE WOULD THEN BE SOME BASIS FOR COMPARISON OVER A FAIRLY SHORT TIME SPAN.

GENERALLY, HE THOUGHT THAT THE RESULTS OF THE LABOUR FORCE SURVEY NERE. FAR FROM PROVIDING CAUSE FOR ALARM AND NOTED THAT THE OVERALL UNEMPLOYED FIGURE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LESS THAN SOME OF THE MORÉ PESSIMISTIC GUESSES PUT OUT OVER PAST MONTHS.

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DEATH SENTENCES COMMUTED

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HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR, AFTER TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE ADVICE OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, NAS DECIDED THAT THE DEATH SENTENCES PASSED ON MAY 29. 1975 ON WONG TAK-SANG AND WONG SUI-LUN SHOULD BE COMMUTED TO 15 YEARS AND 10 YEARS IMPRISONMENT RESPECTIVELY.

IT WAS ALLEGED BY WONG TAK-SANG DURING THE TRIAL THAT WONG TIM HAD SEXUAL INTERCOURSE WITH WONG TAK-SANG'S WIFE AGAINST HER WILL, HAVING THREATENED HER CHILDREN AND PESTERED HER ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS.

WONG TAX-SANG AND HIS NEPHEW WERE BOTH FOUND GUILTY OF MURDER FOLLOWING AN ATTACK ON WONG TIM.

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