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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
DR. P. F. Woo asked the following question :—
"In the Council meeting held on July 3, 1956, I raised the question about discrepancies in Chinese characters and Chinese translations of some street names in the Colony. Your answer to my question was that Police officers and Health Inspectors would be instructed to report these discrepancies. Six months have now passed and I find these discrepancies still exist and the situation has in no way been changed. Would the Chairman indicate how many reports have been received and whether steps will be taken to rectify the situation ?"
THE CHAIRMAN tabled the following written reply:
"As the result of your earlier question reports were received from the Police Department, the Roads Office, the Urban Services Health Inspectorate and the Secretary for Chinese Affairs which raised doubts about the correct Chinese characters for nearly one hundred street names. I feel sure, Sir, that you will appreciate the amount of time and research which it has been necessary to devote to an examination of these discrepancies, but this work has now been completed and lists are available, giving the approved names and characters of the streets concerned as shown in the 1922, 1935 and 1956 street indexes. It is, however, not a simple matter to decide what the correct name should be, as characters other than those authorized by the street indexes have come into use in certain instances. For example, Sir, I was surprised to learn that the correct official Chinese version of Prince Edward Road, according to the street index, is YING WONG TSE TO; of course the name TAI TSE TO is in such general use that probably the best course in this particular instance is to change the official name. The responsibility for naming streets now rests with the Urban Council which operates through the Street Names Select Committee. There are, however, certain Heads of Government Departments, in particular the Post Master General, and the Commissioner of Rating and Valuation, who are very much interested in this question for various reasons, and who must be consulted before a street is named or a name altered. Normally such consultation is achieved by circulation of files but it is obvious that in the present instance where over a hundred names are involved this procedure would take far too long. It is proposed, therefore, to call a meeting of all concerned to examine the lists of discrepancies which have come to light and to decide on the correct Chinese names of the streets concerned.
I shall be pleased to arrange for you to attend at this meeting, should you wish to do so. When the correct names have been decided and changes of name gazetted where necessary the incorrect name plates will, of course, be altered."
DR. Woo:- I am only too pleased to attend the meeting.
CHAIRMAN:- Thank you, sir. I shall make the necessary arrangements.
MR. P. C. Woo asked the following question :—
"Will the Chairman request the representative of this Council on the Traffic Advisory Committee to take up the matter with that Committee as to why the new Traffic Regulations in respect of number plates are only confined to private cars and not to public vehicles, taxis, omnibuses, and lorries?"
THE CHAIRMAN tabled the following written comment :-
"It was brought to my attention this morning that the facts stated in this question are not correct. Regulation 8 of the Vehicle and Road Traffic (Registration and Licensing of Vehicles) Regulations, 1956, makes comprehensive provision governing the types of number plates to be exhibited on all vehicles. In the circumstances, I think you will not wish to have the question referred to the Traffic Advisory Committee in its present form."
He said: There is some misunderstanding on this question and I understand that you may wish to rephrase it.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
213
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212
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
DR. P. F. Woo asked the following question :—
"In the Council meeting held on July 3, 1956, I raised the question about discrepancies in Chinese characters and Chinese translations of some street names in the Colony. Your answer to my question was that Police officers and Health Inspectors would be in- structed to report these discrepancies. Six months have now passed and I find these discrepancies still exist and the situation has in no way been changed. Would the Chairman indicate how many reports have been received and whether steps will be taken to rectify the situation ?"
THE CHAIRMAN tabled the following written reply:
"As the result of your earlier question reports were received from the Police Department, the Roads Office, the Urban Services Health Inspectorate and the Secretary for Chinese Affairs which raised doubts about the correct Chinese characters for nearly one hundred street names. I feel sure, Sir, that you will appreciate the amount of time and research which it has been necessary to devote to an examination of these discrepancies, but this work has now been completed and lists are available, giving the approved names and characters of the streets concerned as shown in the 1922, 1935 and 1956 street indexes. It is, however, not a simple matter to decide what the correct name should be, as characters other than those authorized by the street indexes has come into use in certain instances. For example, Sir, I was sur- prised to learn that the correct official Chinese version of Prince Edward Road, according to the street index, is YING WONG TSE TO; of course the name TAI TSE TO is in such general use that probably the best course in this particular instance is to change the official name. The responsibility for naming streets now rests with the Urban Council which operates through the Street Names Select Committee. There are however, certain Heads of Government Departments, in particular the Post Master General, and the Commissioner of Rating and Valuation, who are very much interested in this question for various
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
213
reasons, and who must be consulted before a street is named or a name altered. Normally such consulta- tion is achieved by circulation of files but it is obvious that in the present instance where over a hundred names are involved this procedure would take far too long. It is proposed therefore to call a meeting of all concerned to examine the lists of discrepancies which have come to light and to decide on the correct Chinese names of the streets concerned.
I shall be pleased to arrange for you to attend at this meeting, should you wish to do so. When the correct names have been decided and changes of name gazetted where necessary the incorrect name plates will, of course, be altered."
DR. Woo:-I am only too pleased to attend the meeting.
CHAIRMAN:-Thank you, sir. I shall make the necessary
arrangements.
MR. P. C. Woo asked the following question :—-
"Will the Chairman request the representative of this Council on the Traffic Advisory Committee to take up the matter with that Committee as to why the new Traffic Regulations in respect of number plates are only confined to private cars and not to public vehicles, taxis, omnibuses, and lorries?"
THE CHAIRMAN tabled the following written comment :-
"It was brought to my attention this morning that the facts stated in this question are not correct. Regula- tion 8 of the Vehicle and Road Traffic (Registration and Licensing of Vehicles) Regulations, 1956, makes comprehensive provision governing the types of number plates to be exhibited on all vehicles. In the circumstances I think you will not wish to have the question referred to the Traffic Advisory Committee in its present form."
He said: There is some misunderstanding on this question and I understand that you may wish to rephrase it.
Page 4 of
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