XN000022-1977-05-01 — Page 4

SUNDAY, MAY 1, 1977

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GOVERNOR JOINS YOUTHS TO CLEAN UP LAI CHI WO BEACHES

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THE BEACHES AT LAI CHI WO OFF SHA TAU KOK WERE A LOT CLEANER FOLLOWING A TWO-DAY ASSAULT BY 45 MEMBERS OF THE JUNIOR POLICE CALL AND THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLE HOSE.

SIR MURRAY ARRIVED AT THE BEACH YESTERDAY (SATURDAY) AND HAD JOINED THE YOUTHS IN CLEANING UP ONE OF THE BEACHES THERE.

THIS MORNING AT 10.30 A.M. THE GOVERNOR AGAIN ROWED ASHORE ON HIS DINGHY TO HELP WHEN HE SAW THE YOUNGSTERS STARTING WORK AT ANOTHER BEACH.

SIR MURRAY WAS MET AT THE BEACH BY THE PRINCIPAL ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS, MR. JAMES SO DISTRICT OFFICER OF TAI PO, MR. CLIVE OXLEY SENIOR URBAN SERVICES OFFICERS POLICE COMMUNITY RELATIONS OFFICER (FRONTIER), MR. Y. Y. LEE AND FIVE RURAL COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVES LED BY MR. LAU YUM-MAN, CHAIRMAN OF THE SHA TAU KOK RURAL COMMITTEE.

SHORTLY AFTER A BRIEF CHAT WITH THE WELCOMING PARTY, THE GOVERNOR GOT DOWN TO WORK. HE WAS JOINED BY OTHER GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND THE RURAL COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVES,

THE EXERCISE TODAY LASTED ABOUT TWO-AND-A-HALF HOURS UNDER THE BLAZING SUN, AND THE GOVERNOR NOTED THE CHEERFULNESS OF THE YOUNGSTERS WHEN HE HEARD THEM SINGING.

THE WHOLE OPERATION SINCE YESTERDAY GATHERED SEVERAL TONS OF RUBBISH FROM ABOUT TWO MILES OF BEACHES. IT MARKED THE END OF THE MONTH-LONG CLEAN UNGAZETTED BEACH CAMPAIGN IN WHICH MORE THAN 300 YOUTHS, INCLUDING MEMBERS OF THE CLEAN YOUR CITY GROUPS AND THE CIVIL AID SERVICES, TOOK PART.

IN APPRECIATION OF THE ENTHUSIASM AND CIVIC MINDEDNESS OF THE YOUNGSTERS, THE GOVERNOR LATER TREATED THEM TO A PICNIC LUNCH.

AT ONE STAGE OF THE CLEANING UP EXERCISE, SIR MURRAY NOTED THE SIGNS OF THE BURNING OF FIRE CRACKERS AND TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO POINT OUT TO THE CHAIRMAN OF THE SHA TAU KOK RURAL COMMITTEE, MR. LAU OF THE DANGERS OF SETTING OFF FIRE CRACKERS NEAR TREES.

SIR MURRAY ASKED MR. LAU TO INFORM VILLAGERS OF SHA TAU KOK THAT THE BURNING OF FIRE CRACKERS WAS ILLEGAL AND THAT IT WAS POSING A THREAT TO THE VEGETATION.

HE SAID THAT SHA TAU KOK WAS A RESPONSIBLE VILLAGE AND INVITED MR. LAU TO PUT FORWARD PROPOSALS IN OVERCOMING THE PROBLEMS OF FIRE CRACKER BURNING. SIR MURRAY ALSO INDICATED THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS THESE PROPOSALS WITH THE AREA'S RURAL COMMITTEE LATER THIS YEAR.

MR. LAU. THANKED THE GOVERNOR FOR HIS ADVICE AND ASSURED THAT A MEETING OF HIS COMMITTEE WILL BE SUMMONED TO PUT FORWARD SUGGESTIONS.