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good condition and repair as ten years ago, whilst the constant patchy digging up by the P.W.D. for this or that reason always seems extraordinarily prolonged and is unsightly, dangerous and dirty. I am sure better supervision of this aspect of our environment would result in an improvement of standards generally. I would also like to see the co-operation of the P.W.D. with regard to the proper use of ground floors of buildings. There are multi-storey blocks of flats being built in good residential areas where the ground floor is entirely being let out or sold to a garage to be used as a show room and repair shop. The fumes, dirt, noise and filth of this in a residential block of flats is not conducive to good environmental sanitation, health or hygiene.
The extraordinary absence of litter baskets at regular close intervals along our main and side streets is second only to the extraordinary absence of post boxes for letters.
Overcrowding is often blamed for the dirt and filth of our streets and alleyways but I doubt the truth of this since my visit last week to Java Street when I observed that the rubbish chutes of the Housing Authority's North Point Estate in the alleyways facing on to Java Street were in a filthy condition—either due to careless collection of rubbish or to deliberate dumping there. But whatever the cause, it does not improve the environmental sanitation or hygiene.
Health Education can of course do much to improve these matters. But Health Education and Medical Education cannot be separated, and if much noticeable improvement is to be made in this field during this year it would seem to be necessary that we should have the man who is the director of both these services on this council and that there should be much more direct co-operation between this council and the Medical Department, and a more direct approach to Health Education generally. For example, as far as food inspection is concerned I would say that there are still too many people getting non-specific stomach and intestinal upsets after eating in restaurants. The excuse is often given that these people are not accustomed to the type of food and oil used. I do not believe this and I say that the majority of kitchens in restaurants are still not clean enough and that food preparation is not carried out cleanly enough. I suggest that there should be "Spot" sampling much more frequently than is at present carried out and then the present standard of cleanliness could be judged and could be more rapidly improved.
I am told that the only reason why the Director of Medical and Health Services ceased to be a member of Council some years ago was because of a private quarrel between the then Director and the then Chairman of the Council. The work of the Council is so fundamental that it should not be prejudiced by this sort of thing and I appeal for the early return of the Director of Medical and Health Services as a Member. Our work needs the co-operation of the man who can say "yes" rather than of a deputy, however hardworking, who must say “I will refer this matter to my Department."
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It is most interesting to observe that apparently at last there is to be an attempt to eliminate unnecessary delay with the new abattoirs and at least we are going to be able to put the cart before the horse which is better than having no cart and no horse. I would like to know during the course of this year, Mr. Chairman, the dates fixed for the laying of the foundation stones of the new abattoir buildings.
Urban Amenities are so very much helped by the Jockey Club, but I wish Government could be persuaded to vote two million dollars per year for the next five years and then we might have something more near the requirement of park and playground areas for a population of 3 million persons. Recreation facilities generally are so few in Hong Kong that we must press on with the idea of a zoo and an aquarium. I am tempted to suggest that the Kowloon Hospital, when vacated for the new Queen Elizabeth Hospital, would make an ideal site for a zoo. I have heard that there was a suggestion that the hospital may be used as a Tuberculosis Hospital but it is not very suitable for that purpose and a T.B. hospital in an airy situation in the New Territories is essential. The present buildings used as Nurses Quarters at Kowloon Hospital were described to me by one of the tenants some years ago as being exactly like monkey houses with their wire netting on the verandas and windows. It is worth more than a passing thought that this site would make a magnificent zoological garden.
The word "amenities" always conjures up in my mind all the services necessary to make a place attractive and pleasant to live in. Transport is a service with which this council has no direct concern except as regards the Ferry car park and City Hall car park. But it is worthwhile that we should concern ourselves more with transport, that we should for example arrange that special buses should be provided by the bus companies to take people direct to certain beaches and back from these beaches at set times at weekends so that we can ensure that many of the public who are not so fortunate as to own cars can also enjoy the beaches which this council tries to make as safe and clean and comfortable as possible for the public. We might suggest to the "Star" Ferry Company that they have now narrowed the approach to and from the 1st and 3rd class entrances to the ferry to such an extent that it is no longer an amenity and we might suggest that both sides of the pier would be put into use since both are complete and ready for use.
One aspect which is entirely missing from the summary of the Councils' main aims for the year 1959/60 is any reference to traffic. We have a representative on the Traffic Advisory Board to whom in
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
good condition and repair as ten years ago, whilst the constant patchy digging up by the P.W.D. for this or that reason always seems extra- ordinarily prolonged and is unsightly, dangerous and dirty. I am sure better supervision of this aspect of our environment would result in an improvement of standards generally. I would also like to see the co- operation of the P.W.D. with regard to the proper use of ground floors of buildings. There are multi-storey blocks of flats being built in good residential areas where the ground floor is entirely being let out or sold to a garage to be used as a show room and repair shop. The fumes, dirt, noise and filth of this in a residential block of flats is not conducive to good environmental sanitation, health or hygiene.
The extraordinary absence of litter baskets at regular close inter- vals along our main and side streets is second only to the extraordinary absence of post boxes for letters.
Overcrowding is often blamed for the dirt and filth of our streets and alleyways but I doubt the truth of this since my visit last week to Java Street when I observed that the rubbish chutes of the Housing Authority's North Point Estate in the alleyways facing on to Java Street were in a filthy condition-either due to careless collection of rubbish or to deliberate dumping there. But whatever the cause, it does not improve the environmental sanitation or hygiene.
Health Education can of course do much to improve these matters. But Health Education and Medical Education can not be separated, and if much noticeable improvement is to be made in this field during this year it would seem to be necessary that we should have the man who is the director of both these services on this council and that there should be much more direct co-operation between this council and the Medical Department, and a more direct approach to Health Education generally. For example, as far as food inspection is concerned I would say that there are still too many people getting non specific stomach and intestinal upsets after eating in restaurants. The excuse is often given that these people are not accustomed to the type of food and oil used. I do not believe this and I say that the majority of kitchens in restaurants are still not clean enough and that food preparation is not carried out cleanly enough. I suggest that there should be "Spot" sampling much more frequently than is at present carried out and then the present standard of cleanliness could be judged and could be more rapidly improved.
I am told that the only reason why the Director of Medical and Health Services ceased to be a member of Council some years ago was because of a private quarrel between the then Director and the then Chairman of the Council. The work of the Council is so fundamental that it should not be prejudiced by this sort of thing and I appeal for the early return of the Director of Medical and Health Services as a
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
31
Member. Our work needs the co-operation of the man who can say "yes" rather than of a deputy, however hardworking, who must say “I will refer this matter to my Department."
It is most interesting to observe that apparently at last there is to be an attempt to eliminate unnecessary delay with the new abattoirs and at least we are going to be able to put the cart before the horse which is better than having no cart and no horse. I would like to know during the course of this year, Mr. Chairman, the dates fixed for the laying of the foundation stones of the new abattoir buildings.
Urban Amenities are so very much helped by the Jockey Club, but I wish Government could be persuaded to vote two million dollars per year for the next five years and then we might have something more near the requirement of park and playground areas for a popula- tion of 3 million persons. Recreation facilities generally are so few in Hong Kong that we must press on with the idea of a zoo and an aquarium. I am tempted to suggest that the Kowloon Hospital, when vacated for the new Queen Elizabeth Hospital, would make an ideal site for a ZOO. I have heard that there was a suggestion that the hospital may be used as a Tuberculosis Hospital but it is not very suitable for that purpose and a T.B. hospital in an airy situation in the New Territories is essential. The present buildings used as Nurses Quarters at Kowloon Hospital were described to me by one of the tenants some years ago as being exactly like monkey houses with their wire netting on the verandas and windows. It is worth more than a passing thought that this site would make a magnificent zoological garden.
The word "amenities" always conjures up in my mind all the services necessary to make a place attractive and pleasant to live in. Transport is a service with which this council has no direct concern except as regards the Ferry car park and City Hall car park. But it is worth while that we should concern ourselves more with transport, that we should for example arrange that special buses should be provided by the bus companies to take people direct to certain beaches and back from these beaches at set times at weekends so that we can ensure that many of the public who are not so fortunate as to own cars can also enjoy the beaches which this council tries to make as safe and clean and comfortable as possible for the public. We might suggest to the "Star" Ferry Company that they have now narrowed the approach to and from the 1st and 3rd class entrances to the ferry to such an extent that it is no longer an amenity and we might suggest that both sides of the pier would be put into use since both are complete and ready for use.
One aspect which is entirely missing from the summary of the Councils' main aims for the year 1959/60 is any reference to traffic. We have a representative on the Traffic advisory Board to whom in
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