XN000022-1983-01-14 — Page 6

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 1983

METRIC 10 DAYS BEGIN

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THE METRICATION COMMITTEE TODAY (FRIDAY) STARTED ITS BIGGEST EVER PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN ENTITLED +METRIC 10 DAYS+ AT WORLD WIDE PLAZA.

RUNNING FROM JANUARY 14 TO 23, THE $500 000 PROJECT REPRESENTS A MAJOR EFFORT BY THE COMMITTEE TO GET THE PUBLIC TO GO METRIC WITHOUT RESORTING TO LEGISLATION.

+THE METRIC 10 DAYS CAMPAIGN IS ORGANISED WITH THE AIM OF FAMILJARISING THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WITH THE MORE COMMONLY USED METRIC UNITS IN EVERYDAY LIFE,+ SAID MR JAMES WU, THE COMMITTEE'S CHAIRMAN, AT TODAY'S OPENING CEREMONY.

+WE ALSO WANT TO DEMONSTRATE TO THE PUBLIC THE BENEFITS, THE SIMPLICITY, THE EASE AND THE LOGIC OF CONVERTING TO THE METRIC SYSTEM, WHICH HAS BEEN OR IS BEING ADOPTED BY OVER 90 PER CENT OF THE COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD, HE SAID.

MR WU SAID THAT THIS OBJECTIVE WOULD BE ACHIEVED THROUGH A SERIES OF ENTERTAINING AND EDUCATIONAL EVENTS TO BE HELD AT SELECTED VENUES ALL OVER HONG KONG. THEY ARE EXPECTED TO GET SOME 200 000 PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE USE OF METRIC UNITS.

SPECIALLY ORGANISED EVENTS INCLUDE STREET THEATRE SHOWS, GAMES DAYS, POSTER DESIGN AND LYRIC WRITING COMPETITIONS, NEWSPAPER AND RADIO QUIZZES, A SEMINAR, A TELEVISED SONG CONTEST, A 10-KILOMETRE RACE, A $200 000 TV VARIETY SHOW AND SPECIAL DISPLAYS AT 18 PUBLIC MARKETS IN HONG KONG, KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES.

A BIG ATTRACTION OF THE CAMPAIGN IS THE GIGANTIC REPLICA OF A SOFT DRINK CAN INFLATED AT THE ENTRANCE OF NEW WORLD CENTRE, WHERE PASSERS-BY ARE INVITED TO GUESS THE REPLICA'S HEIGHT AND VOLUME IN METRIC UNITS, USING PARTICIPATION FORMS DISTRIBUTED AT THE SITE.

THE CAMPAIGN, WHICH IS THE RESULT OF NINE MONTHS' PREPARATION, HAS BEEN MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE ACTIVE PARTICIPATION OF MANY PRIVATE ORGANISATIONS, DISTRICT BOARDS, SUPERMARKETS, DEPARTMENT STORES AND GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AS WELL AS CONSIDERABLE SUPPORT FROM THE MEDIA.

OTHER OFFICIATING GUESTS AT THE OPENING CEREMONY INCLUDED MR R.H. LOBO, SENIOR UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MISS OPHELIA CHEUNG, CHAIRMAN OF THE METRIC 10 DAYS ORGANISING COMMITTEE, AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS CONCERNED.

THE CEREMONY INCLUDED A PRIZE PRESENTATION TO WINNERS OF THE POSTER DESIGN COMPETITION, THE WINNING ENTRIES OF WHICH ARE DISPLAYED ON THE SECOND FLOOR OF WORLD WIDE PLAZA.

IT WAS FOLLOWED BY A METRIC QUIZ CONDUCTED BY RADIO TELEVISION HONG KONG ARTISTES HAPPY CHAN AND PAU HING-HUNG, AND A TOUR OF THE POSTER COMPETITION DISPLAY BY OFFICIATING GUESTS.

MUSIC WAS PROVIDED DURING THE CEREMONY BY THE BAND OF

THE BUDDHIST WONG FUNG LING COLLEGE,

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