Page 19 of 139
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
DR. R. H. S. LEE:- Mr. Chairman, I agree that the range of the Council's work is very wide. It touches almost every phase of urban life from cradle to grave. It is responsible for not only the safety of the milk that a baby takes but also the meat that its parents consume. When we run through the various duties of the 38 Select Committees it will be seen that there are indeed few walks of life which are not the concern of the Council. There is even a Select Committee on Cemeteries, Mortuaries and Crematoria which deals with human remains. Considering its scope and function it becomes apparent that what we decide here is bound to have far-reaching effects not only on environmental hygiene but also on local habits of life. When I read your statement of progress and policy, Mr. Chairman, I was very impressed by the extent of the Council's achievements as well as its comprehensiveness which reminds me of our platform, and which goes to show how far we have travelled since I first joined this Council about 5 years ago.
I have noticed, Sir, that greater attention is now being paid to health than ever before. In view of the very congested living conditions and the high disease incidence of the population that is as it should be. And the Health Education Select Committee has been very active in launching regular campaigns to arouse local health consciousness; but it will take a long time before any obvious and lasting results can be attained. Although these efforts are timely and admirable I cannot help feeling that unless slum clearance is accepted as a general principle to clear our dilapidated tenements at the earliest possible date, no vast improvement is likely to result in this direction. Aren't we expecting too much of our fellow men to ask our health inspectors to see that the tenement floors are kept at a high standard when large sections of the tenements are not even served with a flush system and many families whose living accommodation is either a cubicle, a bed-space or even a verandah? Unless these measures are operating together I feel, Mr. Chairman, that whatever we do will be just scratching the surface of the problem.
Whilst we draw Government's attention to the dangers of allowing slum conditions to exist in face of a rapidly growing population, Mr. Chairman, I think it is time that this Council should take positive action in removing offensive trades in residential areas. I refer to the bone factories in Kennedy Town and the dried fish industry in Western District as examples. The smell and fly nuisances from these trades have not only been the subjects of complaints and adverse comments from the residents, but their presence discourages investors from the development of the area. They should be assisted to remove their business to offensive trade zones where they could conduct it without annoyance to their neighbours.
It is most undesirable to have factories in residential zones. There are thousands of them in the urban areas. As most of them are small men with little capital it is well worth Government's consideration to resettle them in buildings like the Resettlement Multi-storey Factories. A lot of them are noisy enterprises situated in basements which makes it extremely difficult for the Council to be just to them without putting them completely out of business from complaints made by neighbours.
One of the greatest headaches to both tenants and landlords is the continued presence of roof-top squatters. Because of the strong health and fire hazards of these illegal structures it is time for the Resettlement Department to resettle them at the earliest possible date.
Mr. Chairman it will be a long time before the Education Department is in a position to provide schools for the children of settlers living in Resettlement Estates. I urge therefore that more roof-tops of multi-storey buildings be made available to voluntary organizations wishing to operate schools for these under-privileged children who are at present without schooling. I know there is some doubt about the strength of the buildings being able to support more roof-tops converted into use for schools. If that be the case I hope the Commissioner for Resettlement will take steps to see that all future resettlement buildings are properly strengthened for both roof-tops to be used for this purpose.
As a group teachers are about the worst paid relative to their responsibility. They live in crowded and insanitary environments. As these conditions affect their work in training the younger generation I feel that it is just as important that special points should be given to them in low-cost housing estates as to persons suffering from tuberculosis.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
19
Page 19 of 139
Page 19 of 139
Page 19 of 139
18
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
DR. R. H. S. LEE:-Mr. Chairman, I agree that the range of the Council's work is very wide. It touches almost every phase of urban life from cradle to grave. It is responsible for not only the safety of the milk that a baby takes but also the meat that its parents consume. When we run through the various duties of the 38 Select Committees it will be seen that there are indeed few walks of life which are not the concern of the Council. There is even
a Select Committee on Cemeteries, Mortuaries and Crematoria which deals with human remains. Considering its scope and function it becomes apparent that what we decide here is bound to have far-reaching effects not only on environmental hygiene but also on local habits of life. When I read your state- ment of progress and policy, Mr. Chairman, I was very impressed by the extent of the Council's achievements as well as its com- prehensiveness which reminds me of our platform, and which goes to show how far we have travelled since I first joined this Council about 5 years ago.
I have noticed, Sir, that greater attention is now being paid to health than ever before. In view of the very congested living conditions and the high disease incidence of the population that is as it should be. And the Health Education Select Committee has been very active in launching regular campaigns to arouse local health consciousness; but it will take a long time before any obvious and lasting results can be attained. Although these efforts are timely and admirable I cannot help feeling that unless slum clearance is accepted as a general principle to clear our dilapidated tenements at the earliest possible date, no vast improve- ment is likely to result in this direction. Aren't we expecting too much of our fellow men to ask our health inspectors to see that the tenement floors are kept at a high standard when large sections of the tenements are not even served with a flush system and many families whose living accommodation is either a cubicle, a bed-space or even a verandah ? Unless these measures are operating together I feel, Mr. Chairman, that whatever we do will be just scratching the surface of the problem.
Whilst we draw Government's attention to the dangers of allowing slum conditions to exist in face of a rapidly growing population, Mr. Chairman, I think it is time that this Council should take positive action in removing offensive trades in residential areas. I refer to the bone factories in Kennedy Town
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
19
and the dried fish industry in Western District as examples. The smell and fly nuisances from these trades have not only been the subjects of complaints and adverse comments from the residents, but their presence discourages investors from the development of the area. They should be assisted to remove their business to offensive trade zones where they could conduct it without annoyance to their neighbours.
It is most undesirable to have factories in residential zones. There are thousands of them in the urban areas. As most of them are small men with little capital it is well worth Government's consideration to resettle them in buildings like the Resettlement Multi-storey Factories. A lot of them are noisy enterprises situated in basements which makes it extremely difficult for the Council to be just to them without putting them completely out of business from complaints made by neighbours.
One of the greatest headaches to both tenants and landlords is the continued presence of roof-top squatters. Because of the strong health and fire hazards of these illegal structures it is time for the Resettlement Department to resettle them at the earliest possible date.
Mr. Chairman it will be a long time before the Education Department is in a position to provide schools for the children of settlers living in Resettlement Estates. I urge therefore that more roof-tops of multi-storey buildings be made available to voluntary organizations wishing to operate schools for these under- privileged children who are at present without schooling. I know there is some doubt about the strength of the buildings being able to support more roof-tops converted into use for schools. If that be the case I hope the Commissioner for Resettlement will take steps to see that all future resettlement buildings are properly strengthened for both roof-tops to be used for this purpose.
As a group teachers are about the worse paid relative to their responsibility. They live in crowded and insanitary environ- ments. As these conditions affect their work in training the younger generation I feel that it is just as important that special points should be given to them in low-cost housing estates as to persons suffering from tuberculosis.
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