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Telegraph, March 11, 1970
fed tech tele
Urban Council walk-out THE WEEK IN
ALL
LL ten elected Urban Councillors walked out of a Council meeting in protest against "dila- oriness and delay" in bringing in constitutional reforms.
Mr Hilton said later: "We have not lost patience but we wanted to register our deep concern at the slow pace of reforms in local government."
Cheong-leen
a
The walkout came after the Council's Chairman, Mr Alexander, said that Council report on local government reform had not yet been referred to the Executive Council.
This
reply, said Mr Cheong-leen, was most un- satisfactory and he then led the walkout. Another Councillor, Mr Brook Bernacchi, said Government had been promising reforms since 1966 but nothing had happened.
Later in the week, a Government statement on local government reforms said the subject was com- plex, controversial and im- portant and had to be con- sidered by a number of de- partments before the Executive Council deal with the matter.
"In the sense
that the subject has been constantly under consideration in the light of changing opinions, there has been no unneces- sary delay," said a spokes-
man.
could
"
It was impossible, he add- ed to tell when a statement on possible changes would be made.
In a surprise decision, a North Kowloon magistrate refused to make an order for the detention of a public light bus for an offence.
Mr C. A Millar said the
1
would, if necessary, appeal to the Privy Council against regulations providing for the impounding and de- registration of mini-buses.
The association's chair- man, Mr Pang Kwan-keung, said this at a meeting of 200 van owners and drivers. He appealed to them not to "do anything stupid" until the result of a petition to the Governor was known and moved quickly to put down any suggestion of holding public demonstration.
The Commissioner fur Transport assured a meet- ing of mini-bus drivers that de-registration was not automatic on two impound- ing orders having been
he told a luncheon audi- ence, but added that would be very expensive.
it
Government is expected to make a decision in the` next few weeks on the proposed polytechnic.
Chairman of the planning committee, Mr P. Y. Tang, said its submissions were under consideration. Gov- ernment has agreed in prin- ..ciple to go ahead with the polytechnic and it is ex- pected to start in three years time.
was
The committee contact with the Japanese Consulate-General over
THONGKONG
A woman was fined $3,000 for keeping two brothels and aiding
- prostitution.
and abetting
A former policeman was jailed for 61⁄2 years and an accomplice for 51⁄2 years for robbing two employees of the Kam
of Shing Bank $200,000 last June 3
A Korean merchant was fined $2,500 for forged
Korean and
having Thai
in
passports. The man claim- ed he
them bought Hongkong for $3,300.
in
an
Thieves stole $15,400 from a Wanchai restaurant's
}
OPINION: Beer and cheese
Food and drink is certainly in the news this week with Hongkong producing what is believed to be the world's first soya bean cheese and sending its first shipment of beer to the United States.
Although the Colony is well-enough known for its expertise in the manufacture of textiles, wigs, electronics items and plastics goods, there are not too many people familiar with the facts of Hong- kong's production of quality foodstuffs and beverages.
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Yet this is another area in which Hong. kong can match up to or even surpass the rest of the world, perhaps not sheer volume of output but certainly in quality.
in
Apart from items in the news this week the Colony can boast of Hongkong-baked
biscuits that have won awards in inter- national contests and tinned varieties of
made, and stressed that the impounding orders were in- tended only to force owners to exercise control over driv-
ers.
?
Meanwhile, owners of public hire cars petitioned for better treatment.
Chinese food that have brought a touch of the "exotic Orient" to many a foreign table
to name just two.
Despite the lack of natural resources lack that plagues just about all Hongkong's major industries the production of first- class foodstuffs has gone from strength to strength.
--
A large percentage of this has, neces- sarily, been for domestic consumption, but exports have, at the same time, been growing steadily, albeit slowly.
No one would expect Hongkong ever to become known
as one of the top food- producing areas of the world but there is no reason why it should not add to its reputation overseas as a specialist caterer.
Who knows, the call from gourmets around the world in a few years from now might be for "Hongkong beer and some of that excellent soya bean camembert."
offer by the Japanese Gov- ernment to help in the es- tablishment of the polytech nic.
..
safe
Two traffic ex- perts blamed poor driving instruction for the low
polytech standing of driving in Hong-
The standard of pupils who took last year's English Certificate.
Education
kong.
Tragedy struck a Tze Wan Shan family twice in one night an 18-month- old baby girl suffocated and
What The Papers
Say
COMMENTING
on
the
Budget speech of the Financial Secretary, many dailies objected to any rise in water charges, in parti- cular, and others suggest- ed that more effective methods should be con- sidered to improve the flow of traffic before in- creasing taxes on vehicles and petrol.
One
newspaper
opposed in
the proposed reduction estate duty claiming that Government feared offending rich and influential families. The Wah Kiu Yat Po, noting the Financial Secre- tary's hint of higher water rates, suggested that Govern- ment should seek public opinion on the question.
It urged members of the public to express their views on the subject.
Chain reaction
The Sing Po was not in favour of a rise in water rates as it would have a chain reaction leading to rises in commodity prices, adding extra burdens on the people.
The paper supported Gov- ernment's plan to enlarge the Plover Cove reservoir capacity but implied that the project should be financed by sur- plus revenue rather than by putting up water rates.
car-
The Tin Tin Yat Po strong- ly opposed any further in- creases in tax on the owning community, contend- ing that any additional levy would be detriment to Hong- kong's development.
it said that the idea amounted to “trimming the toes to fit the shoe" and
i
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