TNAG-0555-FCO40-650-Review-of-death-sentence-in-Hong-Kong-1975 — Page 13

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New Life Evening Post said: "In practice the Urban Council is seeking an across-the-board increase in fees."

"If other government departments were to do the same there would be total chaos in Hong Kong."

Sing Pao, Hong Kong Times, New Life Evening Post (4.12.75) and the communist Hong Kong Commercial Daily said that it was the hawkers and restaurant operators who would be most affected by the increases.

The four papers and Wah Kiu Yat Po (7.12.75) were against the increase in hawker licence fees.

New Life Evening Post said: "The increase in hawker licence fees is inappropriate and that for small restaurants unreasonable."

The communist Hong Kong Commercial Daily (3.12.75) also criticised the increase in hawker licence fees as unreasonable, saying that the livelihood of between 200,000 to 300,000 licensed hawkers and their dependants would be seriously affected.

The paper singled out this year's estimated expenditure for the general duties teams and the Hawker Control Force as "too large.'

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New Life Evening Fost (8.12.75) and the communist Hong Kong Commercial Daily (8.12.75) strongly criticised the Urban Council's statement on December 7 that there was a vast difference in licence fces between Hong Kong and Singapore.

New Life Evening Post said the Urban Council implied that if Hong Kong's hawker control were to be handled in the same fashion as in Singapore, then the hawker licence fees must be increased.

The paper said: "The Urban Councillors should review their policies and working systems rather than think purely in terms of money."

Hong Kong.Commercial Daily asked whether or not the Urban Councillors knew the daily volume of business concluded by the Singapore hawkers or the amount of profit earned.

Transport Fares

The increase in fares by the Star Ferry Company, Hong Kong Tramways and Peak Tramways, which came into effect on December 1, continued to receive attention in the Chinese Press. There were five editorials during the past week.

New Life Evening Post (3.12.75) and Hong Kong Daily News (6.12.75) felt that the increased fares by the Star Ferry were justified, while the Express (7.12.75) said that the Hong Kong community had accepted the increase.