CONFIDENTIAL **
C
(h)
(i)
4
to drive lorries for the MTR works or construction
companies for considerably higher wages (take-home pay about $3,000 per month). This explained the
reduced number of taxis on the roads.
Commercial coạch services were in strong demand,
and had to be booked well in advance.
Restaurants, tea-houses, and night clubs remained well patronized, especially on Sundays and public holidays. More expensive establishments enjoyed an increase of business because of booming tourism. Restaurants, cafes and the food catering business had to recruit more employees, and the rapid turnover and poor quality of employees gave the management perpetual headaches. Although the level of business was generally satisfactory, their profit margin had to be narrowed down because of keen competition enhanced by new establishments. Streets in the commercial parts of town were very congested. Shopping centres were heavily crowded. Business at night was remarkably good in districts like Mongkok and Causeway Bay. Many people believed that the crime situation was more under control and
felt more confident about going out at night. (k) Despite the rising costs of building materials and
labour, higher prices of land and the increasing number of new buildings completed, commercial estate developers remained keen to explore possibilities for further investments. Recent auctioning of Crown land for residential and industrial development attracted some very competitive bidding.
(j)
The commercial "appetite" for
good sites remained keen.
Businessmen cautious rather than pessimistic (a) Many industrialists OUTSIDE the textile and gar-
ments trades kept complaining about the difficulties in recruiting workers. They said that the con- struction and building activities, particularly the MTR works, had been offering." inordinately high
/wages
CONFIDENTIAL
機密
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