XN000022-1984-09-28 — Page 7

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1984

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WHITE PAPER: 1.25M COPIES TAKEN UP

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BECAUSE OF CONTINUING HEAVY DEMAND FOR THE WHITE PAPER ON HONG KONG'S FUTURE. THE INITIAL PRINT RUN OF 1.25 MILLION COPIES WAS ALL BUT DEPLETED BY THIS AFTERNOON, WITH ONLY A FEW THOUSAND COPIES OF THE CHINESE AND ENGLISH VERSIONS AVAILABLE AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS STORE AT NORTH POINT.

CONSEQUENTLY, APPLICANTS WHO TURNED UP THERE FOR BULK SUPPLIES WERE ASKED TO ACCEPT REDUCED QUANTITIES AND TO RETURN LATER FOR FURTHER SUPPLIES ONCE THE GOVERNMENT PRINTER COULD COMPLETED THE REPRINT WHICH IS NOW IN PROGRESS.

A FURTHER 550 000 ENGLISH AND 300 000 COPIES IN CHINESE ARE NOW BEING PRINTED.

AT THE VARIOUS DISTRIBUTION CENTRES CATERING TO INDIVIDUAL DEMAND THE PRESSURE EASED SLIGHTLY TODAY, WITH FEWER AND SHORTER QUEUES THAN WERE APPARENT YESTERDAY.

HOWEVER, THE LARGER DISTRICT OFFICES, WHERE THE DEMAND WAS GREATEST, CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTIES WITH THEIR LINES OF SUPPLY, AND SOME HAD RUN OUT OF COPIES BY THIS AFTERNOON.

THERE WERE PARTICULAR DIFFICULTIES WITH THE ENGLISH VERSION, FOR WHICH DEMAND EXCEEDED ALL EXPECTATION.

COPIES ALSO RAN OUT AT THOSE POST OFFICES WHICH WERE ADDED TO THE LIST OF DISTRIBUTION OUTLETS TODAY, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE POSTMASTER GENERAL SAID TODAY THAT NOT ALL POST OFFICES WERE CARRYING STOCKS OF THE WHITE PAPER. DETAILS OF THOSE WHICH WERE COULD BE OBTAINED BY RINGING THE GIS HOTLINE 5-250025.

ALSO ADDED TO THE LIST OF OUTLETS TODAY WERE HOUSING ESTATE OFFICES AND POLICE STATIONS.

THE GIS DISTRIBUTION COUNTER ON THE FOURTH FLOOR, BEACONSFIELD HOUSE, WILL REMAIN OPEN TODAY UNTIL 9 PM.

ALL OTHER CENTRES WILL BE DISTRIBUTING COPIES DURING NORMAL OFFICES HOURS FROM NOW ON EXCEPT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE AT CONNAUGHT PLACE, WHICH REMAINS OPEN FROM 9 AM TO 6 PM TOMORROW (SATURDAY) AND ON SUNDAY.

THE NORTH POINT PUBLICATIONS STORE WILL OBSERVE THE SAME EXTENDED HOURS OF OPENING OVER THE WEEKEND.

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