XN000022-1976-08-23 — Page 3

MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 1976

PUBLIC URGED TO START THINKING METRIC NOW

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THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT'S METRICATION OFFICER, MR. JIM MCGUINNIETY, SAID TODAY NO ONE IN HONG KONG COULD ESCAPE THE

INEVITABLE CHANGEOVER TO THE METRIC SYSTEM AND HE URGED EVERYONE TO BEGIN THINKING METRIC

NOW.

+THE CHANGEOVER WILL BE WIDESPREAD THROUGHOUT HONG KONG, AND WILL NOT ONLY AFFECT INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE, BUT EVENTUALLY EVEN HOUSEWIVES WILL BUY RICE AND VEGETABLES IN KILOGRAMS FROM MARKET STALLS,+ HE PREDICTED.

*THE TIME HAS THEREFORE COME FOR ALL OF US TO MAKE A CONCERTED EFFORT TO GET USED TO METRES AND KILOGRAMS INSTEAD OF

INCHES AND CATTIES.+

ADDRESSING A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE VICTORIA ROTARY CLUB, MR. MCGUINNIETY SAID THE GOVERNMENT'S METRICATION PROGRAMME WAS ABOUT TO TAKE ANOTHER BIG STEP FORWARD WITH THE IMPENDING GAZETTING OF THE METRICATION OF THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE.

THIS WOULD REQUIRE AUTHORISED PERSONS TO SUBMIT BUILDING PLANS IN METRIC TERMINOLOGY ONLY AS FROM JANUARY 1, 1977.

+THE IMPACT WILL BE WIDESPREAD, AFFECTING NOT ONLY DESIGNERS, BUT ALSO THE CONTRACTING SIDE OF THE INDUSTRY INCLUDING SUPPLIERS" OF MATERIALS, MANUFACTURERS AND IMPORTERS OF MATERIALS, HE SAID.

MR. MCGUINNIETY NOTED THAT MUCH HEADWAY HAD ALREADY BEEN MADE IN VARIOUS AREAS WITHIN GOVERNMENT, PARTICULARLY WITHIN THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WHICH HAD VIRTUALLY COMPLETED A FOUR-YEAR METRICATION PROGRAMME.

THE P.W.D. METRICATION UNIT, HE SAID, WOULD NOW BE TRANSFERRED TO THE COLONIAL SECRETARIAT TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PROMOTION OF AN OVERALL POLICY AND FOR PRODUCING PROMOTIONAL AND INFORMATION MATERIAL FOR USE WITHIN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, AS WELL AS TO CO-ORDINATE THE EFFORT BETWEEN DEPARTMENTS AND TO ADVISE ON CHANGES IN LEGISLATION.

+AS OTHER DEPARTMENTS GET INTO GEAR ON METRICATION, THE COMMUNITY WILL BECOME MORE AND MORE AFFECTED, HE SAID.

+THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT, FOR INSTANCE, WILL INFLUENCE OUR DAILY LIVING WHEN THEY AMEND LÉGISLATION SO THAT ROAD SIGNS WILL BE IN METRIC DISTANCES. THIS IN TURN WILL AFFECT TAXI METERS AND FARE STRUCTURES AND PETROL WILL BE SOLD IN LITRES INSTEAD OF GALLONS.+

+LIKEWISE, THE POST OFFICE WILL CONVERT ITS POSTAL RATES TO METRIC AND OF COURSE ALREADY FOR SOME YEARS WE HAVE HAD ONLY METRIC INFORMATION FROM THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY.+

TO CO-ORDINATE