1957 — Page 14

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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

In my final plea, Mr. Chairman, I hope I haven't imparted too lugubrious a note by expressing my concern for the dead as well as for the living. In this particular instance, I should say the concern of relatives and friends rather than my own. There are only two private funeral homes in the whole of the Colony. They are both in Hong Kong, and there is none in Kowloon. Some 3 years ago, the Cemeteries, Mortuaries and Crematoria Select Committee realized this deficiency and strongly recommended to the Government that 3 new sites in Shamshuipo should be reserved for the exclusive use of private mortuaries. As it is a matter of some considerable public interest that no one trade should enjoy an exclusive monopoly, and in this particular instance, it must serve the pressing needs of Kowloon, I urge the Government to free these sites forthwith from squatter occupation to enable these lots to be put up for public auction. It is important that these sites should be developed first rather than later because of the public objections and outcry to these establishments being near private buildings if this order is not followed.

As so many people are interested in opening these funeral homes, the Government should have no cause for concern that it would not fetch a good bid for these sites. (Applause).

MR. FUNG PING FAN:- Mr. Chairman, to those who have not yet read that most interesting and informative booklet entitled "A Problem of People", I would highly commend it to them as showing the principal problem that confronts the Colony.

This problem of people is a challenge of our time and a challenge to us all, and I am glad that we have accepted it without hesitation. It is indeed a difficult and knotty problem, and one we are determined to solve at the earliest possible opportunity.

To resettle countless thousands of the homeless is not an easy task, but we are tackling the matter boldly and realistically, and hope that before long we will be able to reduce the number to as low a minimum as possible.

I shall not attempt to review what we have already done, as it is well known that the Resettlement Department has been doing a grand job of work since its establishment some years ago to resettle the teeming masses of the squatters. I shall therefore simply offer one or two suggestions which I hope will be favourably received.

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

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First, I would suggest that Government start to plan reclaiming the sites leased out to various parties for building bungalows in resettlement areas a few years ago for a term of 10 years, when the leases expire, and erect upon the sites more multi-storey buildings, with the view to converting them into self-contained flats eventually to improve the standard of living of the people.

Then I would suggest that if His Excellency the Governor's proposal that the United Nations should help us shoulder the burden of looking after the refugees receives a favourable response, and if such response should be in a monetary form, we should apply the fund to develop hitherto costly sites for resettling the squatters, most of whom are refugees.

I am glad to note that this Council is working in close co-operation with the Police Department in readjusting existing policies respecting Hawker control. However, this is a two-sided problem, as whilst Government may be favourably inclined towards the hawkers, it is up to the hawkers themselves to co-operate and to show that they are worthy of this favourable treatment. Unfortunately, they have not taken advantage of the assistance rendered them, because whilst we have generously issued more pedlar hawking licences to those who applied for them, we soon found that there were more unlicensed hawkers than licensed ones.

Then some of the hawkers have even turned their pitches into a minor resettlement colony by hawking their wares in the daytime, and sleeping there with their families at night. This is quite contrary to the expectation of this Council, and has become a serious problem. Nevertheless, we will continue to devise means to improve their lot.

For a Colony the size of Hong Kong with a population close to 3 millions, we have far too few parks and playgrounds to serve the people. As it is well known, every available foot of vacant land is at a premium, so that this land-hungry Colony finds it difficult, if not impossible, to provide more open spaces for recreation of the people. It seems to me, therefore, the only alternative would be for Government to take advantage of the United Kingdom Government's decision to reduce the Forces in the Colony by seeking the early return of lands at present occupied by the military, particularly those they have taken 'temporarily' since the

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