XN000022-1981-01-13 — Page 8

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 1981

THE AUCTION WILL BE HELD IN THE SHOUSON THEATRE OF THE ARTS CENTRE STARTING AT 11 AM.

ALSO TO BE AUCTIONED TOMORROW ARE A FURTHER SHA TIN SITE FOR TWO-STOREY RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, A SITE IN TAI PO TOWN CENTRE FOR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL USE AND TWO INDUSTRIAL SITES IN TUI MIN HOT, SAT KUNG.

TRIBUTE TO HAD COMMUNITY ORGANISERS *****

THE DIRECTOR OF HOME AFFAIRS, MR GRAHAM BARNES TODAY PAID TRIBUTE TO THE COMMUNITY ORGANISERS WORKING FOR THE CITY DISTRICT OFFICES FOR THEIR PART IN PROMOTING THE MUTUAL AID COMMITTEE MOVEMENT IN HONG KONG.

SPEAKING AT A TEA RECEPTION AT THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT OFFICES ATTENDED BY THE COMMUNITY ORGANISERS AND REPRESENTATIVES OF MUTUAL AID COMMITTEES, MR BARNES SAID THEIR GOOD WORK AND ACHIEVEMENTS MIGHT HAVE ESCAPED PUBLIC ATTENTION, NEVERTHELESS, THEIR COMMENDABLE SERVICE WAS DEEPLY APPRECIATED BY THE GOVERNMENT AND THE HOME AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT.

THE DIRECTOR ALSO DISCLOSED THE GOOD NEWS THAT THE SALARY FOR THE COMMUNITY ORGANISERS, EMPLOYED ON TEMPORARY TERMS, HAD BEEN INCREASED FROM $900 TO $1 250 A MONTH FROM JANUARY AND THEIR HOURS OF WORK REDUCED FROM 120 TO 100 HOURS.

HE RECALLED THAT COMMUNITY ORGANISERS FIRST JOINED THE SERVICE OF THE HOME AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT IN 1973 TO ASSIST THE CITY DISTRICT OFFICES WITH COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT WORK FOR THE FIGHT VIOLENT CRIME CAMPAIGN AND CLEAN HONG KONG CAMPAIGN.

IN THE SAME YEAR, THE CONCEPT OF MUTUAL AID COMMITTEES WAS INTRODUCED AND SINCE THEN THEY HAD HELPED TO ENCOURAGE AND ASSIST RESIDENTS TO FORM THEMSELVES INTO SUCH COMMITTEES,

+MAC'S ARE NOW A PERMANENT FEATURE IN HONG KONG AND THEY HAVE BEEN GROWING STEADILY IN NUMBER, COVERING PRIVATE MULTI-STOREY BUILDINGS, PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES, FACTORIES, TEMPORARY HOUSING AREAS AND SQUATTER AREAS.

+TODAY, ABOUT 2 500 MAC'S HAVE BEEN FORMED AND ARE SERVICED BY TEMPORARY COMMUNITY ORGANISERS AND LIAISON OFFICERS IN THE URBAN AREAS,+ MR BARNES SAID.

TODAY'S RECEPTION WAS HELD FOR COMMUNITY ORGANISERS WORKING ON HONG KONG ISLAND. A SIMILAR ONE WILL BE GIVEN ON THURSDAY (JANUARY 15) AT THE AMBASSADOR HOTEL FOR THOSE IN KOWLOON.