XN000022-1983-10-31 — Page 6

MONDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1983

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MR WU IS CONVINCED THAT THE PUBLIC ARE GENERALLY WILLING TO ACCEPT THE METRIC SYSTEM, BUT THE PROBLEM IS THEY DO NOT KNOW HOW TO CHANGE FROM THE TRADITIONAL SYSTEM TO THE NEW ONE.

IN MR WU'S OPINION, LEARNING THE CONVERSION FACTORS FOR METRIC AND NON-METRIC UNITS IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE AND PRACTICAL WAY TO LEARN THE METRIC SYSTEM.

A UNIQUELY DESIGNED, POCKET-SIZE METRIC DIAL, PAMPHLETS AND STICKERS WILL BE PRODUCED TO ACQUAINT THE PUBLIC WITH METRIC TERMS AND FACILITATE THE CONVERSION BETWEEN METRIC AND TRADITIONAL UNITS E.G. IMPERIAL AND CHINESE UNITS.

FOR THE BENEFIT OF TRADERS AND CONSUMERS, THE METRICATION COMMITTEE WILL MAKE WEIGHING AND MEASURING EQUIPMENT. READILY AVAILABLE, INITIALLY WITH DUAL SCALE CALIBRATIONS AND EVENTUALLY WITH UNITARY METRIC SCALE CALIBRATIONS.

MR WU POINTED OUT THAT THE WORKING GROUPS OF THE METRICATION COMMITTEE WILL MAINTAIN CLOSE CONTACT WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND TRADE ASSOCIATIONS TO ASSIST THEM IN WORKING OUT THE IR METRICATION PROGRAMMES.

HE SAID THAT A SERIES OF PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES WILL BE LAUNCHED TO COMPLEMENT THE COMMITTEE'S NEW APPROACH.

FOUR NEW PUBLICITY SHORT FILMS HAVE BEEN PRODUCED TO STRESS THE REASONS FOR AND ADVANTAGES OF THE METRIC CHANGE-OVER.

OTHER ACTIVITIES INCLUDE THE PRODUCTION OF NEW RADIO TRAILERS, THE PUBLICATION OF PRINTED MATERIAL FOR DISTRIBUTION TO THE PUBLIC, THE SETTING UP OF METRIC SCALE COUNTERS IN MARKETS, THE LAUNCHING OF A METRIC FAMILY LUCKY DRAW IN MID-APRIL NEXT YEAR AND PUBLICITY FOR THE CHANGE FROM MILE TO KILOMETRE ON ROAD SIGNS INDICATING SPEED LIMIT IN AUGUST, 1984.

MR IP YEUK-LAM, A MEMBER OF THE METRICATION COMMITTEE AND MR ARTHUR HACKER, CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER, CREATIVE SUB- DIVISION OF GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICES, ALSO SPOKE.

MR IP SAID THAT THE COMMITTEE'S LATEST PRINCIPLE IS TO 'POPULAR I SE' METRICATION AND APPLY THE METRIC SYSTEM +AS A MATTER OF FACT+ TO DAILY LIFE.

IN ORDER TO INTRODUCE THE METRIC SYSTEM TO PEOPLE AT THE GRASS ROOTS LEVEL, METRIC SCALE COUNTERS WILL BE SET UP IN MARKETS THROUGHOUT HONG KONG, SO THAT THE PUBLIC CAN MAKE USE OF THE SCALES DURING THEIR PURCHASES, HE POINTED OUT.

WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE URBAN COUNCIL, THE FIRST METRIC SCALE COUNTER WILL BE SET UP FOR A PERIOD OF TWO WEEKS AT BOWR INGTON ROAD MARKET, WAN CHAI FROM NOVEMBER 11. THIS WILL BE FOLLOWED BY THE ESTABLISHMENT OF FIVE SIMILAR COUNTERS AT CENTRAL MARKET, ABERDEEN MARKET, NGAU TAU KOK MARKET, YAUMATI MARKET AND MONGKOK MARKET ON A ROTATION BASIS.

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