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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
hand, and there should be no objection to a rental range of as much as from $40 to $300. Indeed it is at the lower end of the scale that resettlement and low-cost housing can ultimately be combined. I must also express some concern over the administration of these estates when they are tenanted. It is most essential that we avoid undue interference with the liberty of the tenants and it is really essential that the basis of our relationship should be the normal landlord and tenant one, with of course the necessary safeguards to prevent sub-letting or destructive alterations.
Let me repeat what the Reform Club members have so often said before, that housing estates must be built in conjunction with adequate school accommodation and medical clinics.
Whilst we hope that the Government Departments concerned will bear the cost of such additional buildings, if we do not have adequate co-operation then we must press to build and run them ourselves. Another matter of importance is to ensure that adequate transport facilities are provided to and from the estates and in this connexion, particularly in our Kowloon sites, early consultations should be held with the various companies responsible for public transport. We approve of the present policy whereby housing estates include adequate shopping facilities and in some estates consideration may have to be given to the construction of markets.
I also wish to record my dissatisfaction with the present height of the ceilings at Java Road. I consider that for accommodation in which it is unlikely that the tenants will be able to afford air-conditioning units this height is far too low and also gives a box-like appearance to the flats, nor am I convinced that those low ceilings are an economy because of necessity they involve much greater expense in providing for through-draught.
Inevitably perhaps discussions about the Housing Authority turn one's thoughts towards the terrific problem that lies before us in Hong Kong in the matter of slum clearance and we of the Reform Club are particularly pleased to know that the newly appointed Commissioner of Housing is going to follow up the survey work done by the Reform Club's sub-committee on slum clearance, with a more extensive Government-sponsored survey. As the Reform Club pointed out, this problem cannot begin to be tackled until its full extent has been appreciated. Ultimately I think the Housing Authority will have to co-operate by building one or more estates purely as decanting centres to enable slum clearance to be carried out district by district. Another very important problem linked with the housing problem is that of the sixty-odd thousand people who must be got off the rooftops. As Brook Bernacchi said in his recent speech on this subject, it is foolish even to contemplate that such a large number of people could be simply pushed out on to the streets, and the only answer seems to be some planned rehousing programme for them. If Hong Kong were to have a really bad typhoon the disaster that would be caused to these rooftop squatters and even to the wooden-hutted occupants of some of our cottage resettlement areas would be simply terrible.
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
In conclusion, I want to say a few words about a subject on which I know Brook Bernacchi had intended speaking at some greater length had he been able to take his place as a member with us today, and that is the vital necessity to re-organize our public health services by creating a public health department in addition to the Urban Services Department. The present system, in so far as it works at all, works by luck and not by planning. The Urban Services inspectors who are under us take their instructions from Health Officers who are responsible not to this Council but to the Director of Medical and Health Services; and health services generally are an appendage of the Medical Department rather than a vital aspect of this Council's work. Council members must realize that we ought to be here to run and be responsible for the public health of this great city and on no account must we allow ourselves to drop into the easy role of being puffed-up with our own importance as members of the third council of the Colony with a precedence by courtesy immediately after the members of the Legislative Council, whilst at the same time only carrying out the duties of an advisory board to what was, until a few years ago, called the Sanitary Department. So long as this Council is presided over by officials then if the Chairman is to be the Director of Urban Services, the Vice-Chairman should at least be, in his own right, the Director of Health Services with his own health officers and health inspectors under him who are responsible through him to this Council. (Applause).
MR. LI YIU BOR:-The conventional debate of the Urban Council offers its members an unusual opportunity to speak on any subject, however remotely connected with its present functions, but happily it is a privilege which has never been abused.
Page 18 of 115
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Page 18 of 115
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
hand, and there should be no objection to a rental range of as much as from $40 to $300. Indeed it is at the lower end of the scale that resettlement and low cost housing can ultimately be combined. I must also express some concern over the administra- tion of these estates when they are tenanted. It is most essential that we avoid undue interference with the liberty of the tenants and it is really essential that the basis of our relationship should be the normal landlord and tenant one, with of course the necessary safeguards to prevent sub-letting or destructive
alterations.
Let me repeat what the Reform Club members have so often said before, that housing estates must be built in conjunction with adequate school accommodation and medical clinics.
Whilst we hope that the Government Departinents concerned will bear the cost of such additional buildings, if we do not have adequate co- operation then we must press to build and run them ourselves. Another matter of importance is to ensure that adequate transport facilities are provided to and from the estates and in this connexion, particularly in our Kowloon sites, early consultations should be held with the various companies responsible for public transport. We approve of the present policy whereby housing estates include adequate shopping facilities and in some estates consideration may have to be given to the construction of markets.
I also wish to record my dissatisfaction with the present height of the ceilings at Java Road. I consider that for accom- modation in which it is unlikely that the tenants will be able to afford air-conditioning units this height is far too low and also gives a box-like appearance to the flats, nor am I convinced that those low ceilings are an economy because of necessity they involve much greater expense in providing for through-draught.
Inevitably perhaps discussions about the Housing Authority turn ones thoughts towards the terrific problem that lies before us in Hong Kong in the matter of slum clearance and we of the Reform Club are particularly pleased to know that the newly appointed Commissioner of Housing is going to follow up the survey work done by the Reform Club's sub-committee on slum clearance, with a more extensive Government sponsored survey. As the Reform Club pointed out, this problem cannot begin to be tackled until its full extent has been appreciated. Ultimately I think the Housing Authority will have to co-operate by building
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
21
one or more estates purely as decanting centres to enable slum clearance to be carried out district by district. Another very important problem linked with the housing problem is that of the sixty-odd thousand people who must be got off the roof tops. As Brook Bernacchi said in his recent speech on this subject, it is foolish even to contemplate that such a large number of people could be simply pushed out on to the streets, and the only answer seems to be some planned rehousing programme for them. If Hong Kong were to have a really bad typhoon the disaster that would be caused to these roof-top squatters and even to the wooden-hutted occupants of some of our cottage resettlement areas would be simply terrible.
In conclusion I want to say a few words about a subject on which I know Brook Bernacchi had intended speaking at some greater length had he been able to take his place as a member with us today, and that is the vital necessity to re-organize our public health services by creating a public health department in addition to the Urban Services Department. The present system. in so far as it works at all, works by luck and not by planning. The Urban Services inspectors who are under us take their in- structions from Health Officers who are responsible not to this Council but to the Director of Medical and Health Services; and health services generally are an appendage of the Medical Department rather than a vital aspect of this Council's work. Council members must realize that we ought to be here to run and be responsible for the public health of this great city and on no account must we allow ourselves to drop into the easy role of being puffed-up with our own importance as members of the third council of the Colony with a precedence by courtesy immediately after the members of the Legislative Council, whilst at the same time only carrying out the duties of an advisory board to what was, until a few years ago, called the Sanitary Department. So long as this Council is presided over by officials then if the Chair- man is to be the Director of Urban Services, the Vice-Chairman should at least be, in his own right, the Director of Health Services with his own health officers and health inspectors under him who are responsible through him to this Council. (Applause).
MR. LI YIU BOR:-The conventional debate of the Urban Council offers its members an unusual opportunity to speak on any subject, however remotely connected with its present functions, but happily it is a privilege which has never been abused.
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