XN000022-1978-01-31 — Page 3

TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 1978

2

THE CEREMONY WAS ATTENDED BY THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR. DAVID AKERS-JONES- THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, MR. DAVID MCDONALD- THE DIRECTOR OF URBAN SERVICES, MR. BRIAN WILSON THE TSUEN WAN TOWN MANAGER, MR. JAMES HAYES THE NEW TOWN'S PROJECT MANAGER, MR. EDDIE SHORT- AND THE TOWN HALL'S PROJECT ARCHITECT, MR. FEDERICK WOO AS WELL AS OVER 200 GUESTS AND 500 LOCAL STUDENTS. THE MUSIC WAS PROVIDED BY THE GURKHA BAND.

IT WAS FOLLOWED BY SINGING AND DANCING PERFORMANCES, AS WELL AS A DRAGON DANCE WHOSE EYES WERE DOTTED BY THE TSUEN WAN RURAL COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN, MR. PETER YEUNG.

EARLIER IN WELCOMING SIR MURRAY, MR. WILSON SAID THE TOWN HALL REPRESENTED AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE EXTENSIVE. SCHEME TO PROVIDE THE NEW TERRITORIES WITH CULTURAL FACILITIES COMPARABLE TO THOSE IN OTHER PARTS OF HONG KONG,

+THE NEED HAS BEEN AMPLY DEMONSTRATED BY THE SUCCESS OF THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT'S PUBLIC LIBRARIES, THE FIRST OF WHICH OPENED IN TSUEN WAN IN 1974, + HE SAID.

MR. WILSON POINTED OUT THAT THE TOWN HALL WAS AN EXAMPLE OF THE GOVERNOR'S PERSONAL EFFORT TO MAKE THE ARTS MORE ACCESSIBLE TO THE PEOPLE OF THE NEW TERRITORIES.

THE TOWN HALL FEATURES A 1.500-SEAT MULTI-PURPOSE AUDITORIUM WITH A HIGH STANDARD OF ACOUSTICS, STAGE AND TECHNICAL FACILITIES. IT WILL BE MANAGED BY THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT ON COMPLETION.

WATER SUPPLY DURING LUNAR NEW YEAR

****

DETAILS OF WATER SUPPLY HOURS DURING THE LUNAR NEW YEAR HOLIDAYS WERE ANNOUNCED BY THE WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT TODAY.

THE TAPS WILL BE TURNED ON FROM 4 P.M. ON SUNDAY (FEBRUARY 5) TO 10 A.M. ON FRIDAY (FEBRUARY 10), GIVING FOUR FULL DAYS SUPPLY.

THE PRINCIPAL GOVERNMENT WATER ENGINEER, MR. TOM TOMLINSON, SAID THE TEMPORARY LIFTING OF THE WATER RESTRICTIONS WOULD NOT SERIOUSLY REDUCE STORAGE LEVELS.

HOWEVER, HE CAUTIONED AGAINST BEING OVER-OPTIMISTIC AND SAID THAT WE MUST CONTINUE TO USE WATER SPARINGLY AS THERE WERE STILL SOME DRY MONTHS TO GO BEFORE THE WET SEASON AND EVEN THEN THERE WAS NO GUARANTEE OF PLENTIFUL RAINFALL.

/3