XN000022-1981-10-28 — Page 26

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1981

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HIGH RENTS BLAMED FOR LOWER QUALITY OF LIFE

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THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN CALLED UPON TO TAKE ACTION TO CURB THE CURRENT RISE IN DOMESTIC RENTS, IMPROVE THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM AT PRIMARY AND SECONDARY LEVEL AND PROVIDE MORE GENUINE CULTURAL AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES.

SPEAKING AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ANNUAL POLICY DEBATE, DR THE HON RAYSON HUANG SAID THAT IN REAL TERMS, THE AVERAGE HONG KONG WORKER OF TODAY WAS LESS WELL OFF AS REGARDS THE QUALITY OF LIFE THAN HE WAS A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO.

HE CONSIDERED THE INCREASE IN DOMESTIC RENTS AS PROBABLY THE BIGGEST SINGLE FACTOR IN THIS DETERIORATION, SINCE THE RISE HAD NOT BEEN PARALLELED BY CORRESPONDING INCREASES IN WAGES GENERALLY.

HE ALSO EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT THE CONTROLS WHICH THE GOVERNMENT HAD BROUGHT IN A LITTLE WHILE AGO WERE ALREADY BEING RELAXED, +LONG BEFORE THE DEMAND FOR HOUSING IS IN SIGHT OF BE ING MATCHED BY THE SUPPLY AND AT A TIME WHEN RESTRAINT ON THE PART OF LANDLORDS IS STILL SADLY LACKING+.

IN ADDITION, DR HUANG POINTED OUT, THE SOCIAL CONDITIONS OF HONG KONG HAVE CHANGED DRASTICALLY OVER THE PAST 20 OR 30 YEARS, ESPECIALLY IN THE STRUCTURE OF THE FAMILY AND THE PATTERN OF FAMILY LIFE.

+ONE EARNER CANNOT MAKE ENDS MEET, SO BOTH PARENTS WORK AND THE CHILDREN ARE LESS WELL CARED FOR.

+THE IR WELL-BEING IS LEFT TO THE SCHOOLS WHERE CLASSES ARE LARGE, MUCH TOO LARGE, FOR TEACHERS TO BE ABLE TO PAY MUCH ATTENTION TO INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS OR TO FILL THE GAPS LEFT BY INSUFFICIENT CARE AT HOME.+

HE NOTED THAT THE TRADITIONAL VIRTUES OF OLD CHINA WERE STEADILY BEING ERODED. WITH THE GAP BETWEEN AFFLUENT AND ORDINARY CONTINUING TO WIDEN, PARENTS WERE CAUGHT UP IN THE RAT RACE FOR MATERIAL ADVANCEMENT AND THE IR CHILDREN IN THE RAT RACE FOR THE RUNGS OF THE EDUCATIONAL LADDER.

DR HUANG WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF THIS ON THE YOUNG. THEY ARE CORKED UP IN TINY CUBICLES CALLED HOME, WITH HEALTHY RECREATIONAL FACILITIES FEW AND FAR AWAY. ACCESSIBLE ONLY BY CROWDED, UNCOMFORTABLE PUBLIC TRANSPORT THROUGH CONGESTED ROADS.

+THE EFFECTS OF SUCH SURROUNDINGS SOONER OR LATER MAKE THE IR MARK, FOR IT WOULD TAKE A WILL OF IRON TO RISE ABOVE THE DELETERIOUS EFFECT OF SUCH AN ENVIRONMENT, HE SAID.

/HE NOTED