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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
CHAIRMAN:-This Council is not entering premises, Mr. Kan.
MR. KAN:-I am asking under what authority is the Council according the special services to the Peak District, sir. Perhaps you might have misunderstood my question. As I understand it --if I might make myself clearer--collection of refuse is entirely governed by the Scavenging By-laws. I should like to know under what, under which By-law is this Council according the services which I have mentioned to the Peak District.
CHAIRMAN:--I think we can regard this as an administrative extension of the By-laws. The practical difficulties in the Peak District make it necessary;
MR. KAN:-Notwithstanding the By-law to which I have referred, sir?
CHAIRMAN:-Yes.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Judging from the nature of the question and the reply, sir, would the Chairman agree that such practice can easily be construed, rightly or wrongly, as a sort of privilege for a privileged class?
CHAIRMAN:-You are asking for an expression of opinion which I regret under Standing Orders I cannot give.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-May I ask another supplementary question, Mr. Chairman? I presume that the Chairman is very fully aware, most of us are, of the need to preserve good public relations between the Council and the general public. If for any good reason it is found that the suggestion proposed by Mr. Kan is not practical, would the Chairman suggest to the relevant Select Committee charging the Peak residents an appropriate amount for the privilege of having Urban Council staff provide them with personalized service?
CHAIRMAN:-I have gone into this matter and I think the simplest solution is to get smaller vehicles.
MR. SALES:-Your replies would imply that a door-to-door collection is part of the service which the Urban Council offers to any district. Is that true?
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CHAIRMAN:--Not a door-to-door collection, Mr. Sales, a collection from a point within reasonable approachable distance of a residence. The refuse collecting van has to come to a reasonable distance. We do not expect people to carry dustbins too far.
MR. SALES:-May I continue with my question? The administrative extension of the By-law, as I understand your reply, hinges on the judgment or discretion as to accessibility, am I right?
CHAIRMAN:-That is the fundamental issue, accessibility on these extremely narrow and winding roads on the Peak.
MR. SALES:-Would it not be in the public interest that the servants of the household should convey the refuse to the vehicle in the same way as is done elsewhere in the Colony?
CHAIRMAN:-Mr. Sales, have you ever tried to carry a dustbin from the far end of Severn Road to Pollock's Corner.
MR. SALES:-My servants carry my dustbin from my door to the vehicle about 70 or 100 yards away from the house.
CHAIRMAN:--This is approximately a mile.
MR. SALES:-In which case I should imagine that a better collection system could be devised to the satisfaction of this Council in order to do away--in my opinion it is necessary--with any apparent form of discrimination in favour of any district at public expense.
CHAIRMAN:-I can assure you that I regard this as a very important point and I am going into it personally.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-One final question, Mr. Chairman. From your answer to Question No. 10 it appears that there is the practice of house-to-house collection existing.
CHAIRMAN:-I think we were all agreed on that point a long time ago.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-In which case it is not in accordance with the By-law which has been mentioned?
CHAIRMAN:-I think we all agreed on that point many questions ago.
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196
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
CHAIRMAN:-This Council is not entering premises, Mr. Kan.
MR. KAN:-I am asking under what authority is the Council according the special services to the Peak District, sir. Perhaps you might have misunderstood my question. As I understand it --if I might make myself clearer-collection of refuse is entirely governed by the Scavenging By-laws. I should like to know under what, under which By-law is this Council according the services which I have mentioned to the Peak District.
CHAIRMAN :--I think we can regard this as an administrative extension of the By-laws. The practical difficulties in the Peak District make it necessary;
MR. KAN:-Notwithstanding the By-law to which I have referred, sir?
CHAIRMAN:-Yes.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN :-Judging from the nature of the question and the reply, sir, would the Chairman agree that such practice can easily be construed, rightly or wrongly, as a sort of privilege for a privileged class?
CHAIRMAN :-You are asking for an expression of opinion which I regret under Standing Orders I cannot give.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-May I ask another supplementary question, Mr. Chairman ? I presume that the Chairman is very fully aware, most of us are, of the need to preserve good public relations between the Council and the general public. If for any good reason it is found that the suggestion proposed by Mr. Kan is not practical, would the Chairman suggest to the relevant Select Committee charging the Peak residents an appropriate amount for the privilege of having Urban Council staff provide them with personalized service?
CHAIRMAN:- have gone into this matter and I think the simplest solution is to get smaller vehicles.
MR. SALES--Your replies would imply that a door-to-door collection is part of the service which the Urban Council offers to any district. Is that true?
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
197
CHAIRMAN :—Not a door to door collection, Mr. Saies, a col- lection from a point within reasonable approachable distance of a residence. The refuse collecting van has to come to a reasonable distance. We do not expect people to carry dustbins too far.
MR. SALES-May I continue with my question? The administrative extension of the By-law, as I understand your reply, hinges on the judgment or discretion as to accessibility, am I right?
CHAIRMAN :-That is the fundamental issue, accessibility on these extremely narrow and winding roads on the Peak.
MR. SALES :-Would it not be in the public interest that the servants of the household should convey the refuse to the vehicle in the same way as is done elsewhere in the Colony?
CHAIRMAN: -Mr. Sales, have you ever tried to carry a dustbin from the far end of Severn Road to Pollock's Corner.
MR. SALES :-My servants carry my dustbin from my door to the vehicle about 70 or 100 yards away from the house.
CHAIRMAN :--' -This is approximately a mile.
MR. SALES :-In which case I should imagine that a better collection system could be devised to the satisfaction of this Council in order to do away-in my opinion it is necessary-with any apparent form of discrimination in favour of any district at public expense.
CHAIRMAN: I can assure you that I regard this as a very important point and I am going into it personally,
MR. CHEONG-LEEN :-One final question, Mr. Chairman. From your answer to Question No. 10 it appears that there is the practice of house to house collection existing.
:ཡ
CHAIRMAN :-I think we were all agreed on that point a long time ago.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN :- -In which case it is not in accordance with the By-law which has been mentioned?
CHAIRMAN :-I think we all agreed on that point many ques- tions ago.
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