XN000022-1976-10-30 — Page 7

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1976

COMMENTING ON THE RECENT ADVERSE CRITICISM OF VARIOUS TRAFFIC CHANGES IN THE NORTH POINT AREA, THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT IT WAS UNFORTUNATE THAT TRENCH WORKS BY BOTH THE

ELECTRICITY AND GAS COMPANIES HAD MADE IT NECESSARY TO INTRODUCE THE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SCHEME EARLIER THAN INTENDED AND IN STAGES RATHER THAN ALL AT ONCE AS ORIGINALLY PLANNED.

TO MITIGATE EFFECTS OF CABLELAYING WORK IN ELECTRIC ROAD AND JAVA ROAD, STAGE ONE OF THIS SCHEME HAD BEEN BROUGHT FORWARD.

THE SPOKESMAN FELT THAT UNTIL THE FULL SCHEME CAME INTO OPERATION AND TWO-WAY TRAFFIC RETURNED IN JAVA ROAD IT WAS PREMATURE TO JUDGE WHETHER IT HAD SUCCEEDED.

CITY HALL MAJOR CULTURAL CENTRE IN FAR EAST

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THE URBAN COUNCIL'S CITY HALL CONTINUED TO MAINTAIN ITS LEADING POSITION AS A MAJOR CULTURAL CENTRE IN THE FAR EAST LAST YEAR, WITH HOSTS OF INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED ARTISTS PERFORMING IN ITS CONCERT HALL AND THEATRE.

DURING THE 12 MONTHS ENDING ON MARCH 31 THIS YEAR, THERE WERE OVER 750 CONCERTS, OPERAS, FILMS, DRAMAS AND DANCES WHICH ATTRACTED MORE THAN 595,000 PEOPLE.

ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS IN THE YEAR'S ARTISTIC EVENTS WAS THE HONG KONG ARTS FESTIVAL 1976 PRESENTED BY THE HONG KONG ARTS FESTIVAL SOCIETY IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE URBAN COUNCIL,

DURING THE YEAR UNDER REVIEW, THE SEVEN BRANCH LIBRARIES IN THE URBAN AREAS AND ONE IN THE NEW TERRITORIES ACQUIRED ABOUT 78,830 VOLUMES OF BOOKS, BRINGING THE TOTAL STOCK TO SOME 728,750 VOLUMES.

THE COUNCIL'S LENDING LIBRARIES PROVED TO BE INCREASINGLY POPULAR WITH THE NUMBER OF BOOKS BORROWED FOR HOME READING REACHING A RECORD FIGURE OF 3.5 MILLION VOLUMES, AN INCREASE OF 12 PER CENT OVER THAT OF THE PREVIOUS YEAR. THE NUMBER OF BOOKS READ IN THE LIBRARIES WENT UP BY EIGHT PER CENT,

THE REFERENCE LIBRARIES RECORDED A TOTAL USAGE OF 425,344 BOOKS.

THE MUSEUM OF ART IN THE CITY HALL AND THE NEW MUSEUM OF HISTORY IN STAR HOUSE WERE ALSO A BIG ATTRACTION TO BOTH THE PUBLIC AND TOURISTS.

STATISTICS SHOWED THAT DURING THE YEAR, AN AVERAGE OF 720 PEOPLE VISITED THE MUSEUM OF ART EACH DAY WHILE THE NUMBER OF VISITORS TO THE MUSEUM OF HISTORY EXCEEDED 2,038 PEOPLE A DAY.

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