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turned the soil in the Wongneichong Valley for a park. The incipient park already bore his name.
Governor Bowen was one of Hongkong's unpopular administrators. He was regarded as pompous with an over-developed sense of his own importance.
This antagonism towards him may possibly have been one reason why the park had received support as a memorial gesture. It would be an indirect expression of the public's disapproval of its late administrator if he were deprived of having his name perpetuated in Hongkong by a public amenity.
Dr. Ho Kai reminded the meeting that if looked at in another way the change of the name from Bowen to Victoria was not entirely complimentary to Her Majesty. It was rather like, as he expressed it, offering her "cast off shoes." This remark was greeted with loud applause.
Dr. Ho Kai reserved his most serious objection last. It was he said "a class objection." The park would not be welcomed by the Chinese.
Though he did not say so openly, it meant that the community could not expect the Chinese to assist in this aspect of the plans for the jubilee.
The park would be too far from the centre of town. Not only the Chinese but other less affluent sections of the population would find it too remote.
Dr. Ho Kai admitted that for residents near the park and those who liked to take long walks the park would meet a need, but, on the other hand, for the great majority of people living in the town the park would be quite useless, at least for some time to come.
There were suggestions that circumstances might change. “We speak of having tramways, of the Praya extension, and of connecting east and west, but in regard to this I may use the words of Mr. Chater and say that Government does not undertake these
224
turned the soil in the Wongneichong Valley for a park. The incipi- ent park already bore his name.
Governor Bowen was one of Hongkong's unpopular adminis- trators. He was regarded as pompous with an over-developed sense of his own importance.
This antagonism towards him may possibly have been one rea- son why the park had received support as a memorial gesture. It would be an indirect expression of the public's disapproval of its late administrator if he were deprived of having his name perpetu- ated in Hongkong by a public amenity.
Dr. Ho Kai reminded the meeting that if looked at in another way the change of the name from Bowen to Victoria was not entirely complimentary to Her Majesty. It was rather like, as he expressed it, offering her "cast off shoes." This remark was greeted with loud applause.
Dr. Ho Kai reserved his most serious objection last. It was he said "a class objection." The park would not be welcomed by the Chinese.
Though he did not say so openly, it meant that the community could not expect the Chinese to assist in this aspect of the plans for the jubilee.
The park would be too far from the centre of town. Not only the Chinese but other less affluent sections of the population would find it too remote.
Dr. Ho Kai admitted that for residents near the park and those who liked to take long walks the park would meet a need, but, on the other hand, for the great majority of people living in the town the park would be quite useless, at least for some time to come.
There were suggestions that circumstances might change. “We speak of having tramways, of the Praya extension, and of connect- ing east and west, but in regard to this I may use the words of Mr. Chater and say that Government does not undertake these
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