XN000022-1980-01-14 — Page 9

MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 1980

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OVERWHELMING RESPONSE TO MONKEY GOLD COIN OFFER

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THE HONG KONG AND SHANGHAI BANKING CORPORATION HAS RECEIVED 651 504 APPLICATIONS FOR THE GOLD COIN COMMEMORATING THE YEAR OF THE MONKEY.

OF THESE, 176 148 WERE FOR THE PROOF COIN AND 475 356 FOR THE UNCIRCULATED VERSION.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID 735 600 OF THE 740 000 APPLICATION FORMS PRINTED WERE ISSUED.

+THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS RECEIVED WAS SIX-AND-ONE-HALF TIMES GREATER THAN THAT FOR THE GOAT GOLD COIN, AND NEARLY 19 TIMES GREATER THAN THE DEMAND FOR THE DRAGON COIN,+ SAID THE SPOKESMAN.

IN VIEW OF THE UNPRECEDENTED AND UNEXPECTED HIGH DEMAND FOR THE MONKEY COIN, AND THE TIME NECESSARY TO PROCESS THE APPLICATIONS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT IT WAS NOW UNLIKELY THAT IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO ADHERE TO THE ADVERTISED DATES FOR RETURNING CHEQUES AND CASHIER'S ORDERS TO THOSE WHO WERE UNSUCCESSFUL.

+EVERY EFFORT WILL BE MADE TO PROCESS ALL APPLICATIONS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, HE SAID.

+BUT IT NOW SEEMS CLEAR THAT THE TASK WILL NOT BE COMPLETED UNTIL AFTER THE LUNAR NEW YEAR.+

ADDITIONAL MANPOWER IS BEING EMPLOYED.

WATER CUT IN KWUN TONG

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FRESH WATER SUPPLY TO A NUMBER OF PREMISES IN KWUN TONG WILL BE TURNED OFF FOR EIGHT HOURS FROM 9 AM ON WEDNESDAY (JANUARY 16) FOR WATER MAINS WORK.

THE PREMISES TO BE AFFECTED ARE THOSE ALONG CHA KWO LING ROAD BETWEEN LEI YUE MUN ROAD AND CHA KWO LING TSUEN, INCLUDING THE SHELL CO LTD DEPOT.