SOUTH
CHINA
MORNING POST APRIL 12H 173
Vichting MJP to report on
the Colony's problems
A British Conservative Member ́ of Parliament. Mr John Tilney, will be reporting back to Westminster on a whole spectrum of Hongkong problems raised by Urban Councillors during a meeting yesterday – including the present limits on the size of the Council's electorate.
The meeting, scheduled to last for an hour, overran its time allowance and made Mr Tilney, who is Chairman of the Anglo- Hongkong Parliamentary Group in the House of Commons, late for a meeting with the Governor.
Just over half of the 24 Urban Councillors attended the meeting with the visiting MP, During this many of them raised the question of elections to the Council.
Reform Club councillors were unanimous in saying that there should be a bigger number of people entitled to vote.
Mr Tilney took notes of statements made by Mr Brook Bernacchi and by Mrs Elsie Elliott, an Independent. The present electorate is about 30,000 people.
It was pointed out that the people with whom the councillors mostly dealt were, in fact, people who did not have the vote.
Sources said later that Mr Tilney was "quite overwhelmed" to hear of the amount of inquiries that the councillors dealt with.
Among the areas covered were housing, corruption, narcotics, recreational facilities and environmental issues in general.
One source said that Mr Tilney was certainly going to take up many of the points raised during the meeting.
The councillors also outlined what they saw as possible outcomes of the Crown rents and teachers' pay issues, and outlined the high cost of living in Hongkong as well as what was seen locally as the "adverse balance of trade” between the Colony and Japan.
Some councillors asked if ways could be found in which the UK Government could help Hongkong to gain more technical know-how, perhaps by sending some experts to give instruction in sectors where it was needed.
Mr Tilney said he would be raising some of the issues with the Governor, but did not specify which ones.
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1+KK 3
fascinate Tilmey
Little children with their twinkling eyes and enchanting smiles always fascinate a British Conservative Member of Parliament, Mr John Tilney.
"They arc absolutely delightful and they certainly remind me of what my 16- month-old grandson will be like when he reaches their age," said Mr Tilncy yesterday.
Mr and Mrs Tilney were touring two Government housing estates in Wong Tai Sin and Choi Hung with officials of the Housing Department.
A roomful of children at the Mayflower Kindergarten in Wong Tai Sin charmed the warm and friendly Mr Tilney with their coyness and curiosity.
He had a few good stares from the rather bewildered children when he first walked into the room, but soon he was mixing with them and saying "hello" with a broad smile..
Two-year-old Chan Hoi-/ ming appeared to be the only one who refused to smile for Mr Tilney and his wife who shares her husband's love for children.
He dropped in at the various classes and tried to chat with the children and find out a little of their background from their teachers.
Mr Tilney visited two Government low-cost housing flats belonging to Mr Hui Siu- ming and Mr Cheng Ying.
He asked about the size of the families living in the flats and what kind of alterations they had to make to improve them.
Mr Tilney said he was taken on a similar tour six years ago and be noticed that there had been considerable changes and improvements since then.
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