Page 17 of 118
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
in the Colony, I think it is fair to say that appropriate measures should be taken by those concerned to prevent live stocks from being infested rather than to have them slaughtered and destroyed, thus serving the purpose of avoiding waste both to the suppliers and consumers. The policy of food inspection should be carefully studied, otherwise it may do much harm to the farmers and live stock merchants, arising from unnecessary losses. For instance, live stocks are not being inspected on their arrival in port but after they are slaughtered. The losses then are naturally to be borne by the local meat merchants and not those oversea merchants. This is very unreasonable. The total loss inflicted upon local meat merchants for the first eleven months of 1959 came into the neighbourhood of one million and three hundred thousand dollars. This is only one side of the picture and I believe that there are many cases similar to what I have just said.
Finally, I like to mention something about cemeteries. Difficulties regarding applications for burial grounds for relatives and friends have been experienced by many. Although there are cemeteries at Wo Hop Shek, Tsuen Wan and Aberdeen, and other cemeteries sponsored by various religious groups, ordinary people lack permanent burial grounds. As the population of the Colony grows rapidly, the need for burial grounds becomes a serious problem. Therefore, I think this Council should take measures to remedy these difficulties.
In conclusion, I wish to say that the work of this Council, regardless of its nature, has more or less to do with the people of Hong Kong concerning their affairs from cradle to grave. We should understand the hardships experienced by the citizens and eliminate them as much and as soon as possible. The citizens should feel that their welfare is in good care under the Council.
With these remarks, Mr. Chairman, I have much pleasure in supporting your Motion.
MR. ERNEST C. WONG:- Mr. Chairman, it is a year since I first had the pleasure of enjoying the association of members of this Council, and working with them in the interest of the Public. I have come to appreciate more fully our joint responsibility involving the duties of the Council in its direction of efforts to make Hong Kong a still better place to live in.
On the occasion of this day, I take the liberty to present my few observations of the administration of the Colony's affairs, hoping thereby this humble contribution may receive due attention.
They are these:-
Lack of Inter-Departmental Co-ordination: While it is commendable that Government is ever engaged in serving the interest and welfare of the people, as one and a representative of the Public, I should
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
19
like to see more co-ordination between departments in co-related work while in process of execution. Oftentimes a laboriously completed plan had to be amended, because the assistance of the party for its implementation was not sought in time. This is regrettable in that that very plan had been delayed in its execution, thus causing the loss of much valuable time, and in consequence the lowering of efficacy of the work undertaken to solve an expediency.
In this connexion I have to mention that we are all aware that Government had put up building after building in various resettlement areas, but a contradiction, strange as it may seem, had arisen. The more Government built the more people Government found that need be resettled. A total of some 300,000 persons have been resettled, but we find that there are still 600,000 more to be given the same accommodation. Such being the situation a review of the whole Resettlement Policy is due. I feel that closer co-ordination between departments in work, co-related with the same project, has much to commend itself. By so doing, time wastage will be saved, and redundant work will be obviated. The old practice of each department working independently is now behind the times, for such does not make for efficiency. Hong Kong has both the financial resources and the available manpower to put up all the resettlement buildings that need putting up. Why do we not make our planning embracive enough to solve the problem in the shortest possible time?
Far-Sighted Planning: Here it brings me to broach this subject. I believe we must plan in a more long range manner than we have been doing to cope with the serious problem confronting us today - our consistently Growing Population. We need experts and all pertaining statistics to unravel the problem. Public opinion must be given due regard, for it acts as a weather cock directing our effort towards working out a solution with which the people will be happiest. In our planning we must look for contingencies as far ahead as possible. Existing deficiency in the way of housing for resettlement should be made good without further loss of time. We are living in an advanced age, complicated in its population make-up, and therefore we must plan to keep abreast of the times. In this connexion I have in mind the recent Wan Chai Fire in Hong Kong. The victims of the fire were directed to occupy accommodation as far away as Ngau Chi Wan in Kowloon. This means of solving a problem bemocks the kind gesture intended. Just imagine the plight of these fire-stricken people, banished as it were from their habitual environs where they had been living for generations, among friends and relatives, and thrown to the mercies of life to break new ground in a strange neighbourhood, just because they had to accept the only roof over their heads. Our resettlement planners should have given thought to these unfortunates in terms of heartaches at having to leave all they held dear, and despair at having to forego
Page 19 of 118
Page 17 of 118
18
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
in the Colony, I think it is fair to say that appropriate measures should be taken by those concerned to prevent live stocks from being infested rather than to have them slaughtered and destroyed, thus serving the purpose of avoiding waste both to the suppliers and consumers. The policy of food inspection should be carefully studied, otherwise it may do much harm to the farmers and live stock merchants, arising from unnecessary losses. For instance, live stocks are not being inspected on their arrival in port but after they are slaughtered. The losses then are naturally to be borne by the local meat merchants and not those oversea merchants. This is very unreasonable. The total loss inflicted upon local meat merchants for the first eleven months of 1959 came into the neighbourhood of one million and three hundred thousand dollars. This is only one side of the picture and I believe that there are many cases similar to what I have just said.
Finally, I like to mention something about cemeteries. Difficulties regarding applications for burial grounds for relatives and friends have been experienced by many. Although there are cemeteries at Wo Hop Shek, Tsuen Wan and Aberdeen, and other cemeteries sponsored by various religious groups, ordinary people lack permanent burial grounds. As the population of the Colony grows rapidly, the need for burial grounds becomes a serious problem. Therefore, I think this Council should take measures to remedy these difficulties.
In conclusion, I wish to say that the work of this Council, regard- less of its nature, has more or less to do with the people of Hong Kong concerning their affairs from cradle to grave. We should understand the hardships experienced by the citizens and eliminate them as much and as soon as possible. The citizens should feel that their welfare is in good care under the Council.
With these remarks, Mr. Chairman, I have much pleasure in supporting your Motion.
MR. ERNEST C. WONG:-Mr. Chairman, it is a year since I first had the pleasure of enjoying the association of members of this Council, and working with them in the interest of the Public. I have come to appreciate more fully our joint responsibility involving the duties of the Council in its direction of efforts to make Hong Kong a still better place to live in.
On the occasion of this day, I take the liberty to present my few observations of the administration of the Colony's affairs, hoping thereby this humble contribution may receive due attention.
They are these:-
Lack of Inter-Departmental Co-ordination: While it is commend- able that Government is ever engaged in serving the interest and welfare of the people, as one and a representative of the Public, I should
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
19
like to see more co-ordination between departments in co-related work while in process of execution. Oftentimes a laboriously completed plan had to be amended, because the assistance of the party for its imple- mentation was not sought in time. This is regrettable in that that very plan had been delayed in its execution, thus causing the loss of much valuable time, and in consequence the lowering of efficacy of the work undertaken to solve an expediency.
In this connexion I have to mention that we are all aware that Government had put up building after building in various resettlement areas, but a contradiction, strange as it may seem, had arisen. The more Government built the more people Government found that need be resettled. A total of some 300,000 persons have been resettled, but we find that there are still 600,000 more to be given the same accommodation. Such being the situation a review of the whole Resettlement Policy is due. I feel that closer co-ordination between departments in work, co-related with the same project, has much to commend itself. By so doing, time wastage will be saved, and redundant work will be obviated. The old practice of each department working independently is now behind the times, for such does not make for efficiency. Hong Kong has both the financial resources and the available manpower to put up all the resettlement buildings that need putting up. Why do we not make our planning embracive enough to solve the problem in the shortest possible time?
Far-Sighted Planning: Here it brings me to broach this subject. I believe we must plan in a more long range manner than we have been doing to cope with the serious problem confronting us today- our consistently Growing Population. We need experts and all pertain- ing statistics to unravel the problem. Public opinion must be given due regard, for it acts as a weather cock directing our effort towards working out a solution with which the people will be happiest. In our planning we must look for contingencies as far ahead as possible. Existing deficiency in the way of housing for resettlement should be made good without further loss of time. We are living in an advanced age, complicated in its population make-up, and therefore we must plan to keep abreast of the times. In this connexion I have in mind the recent Wan Chai Fire in Hong Kong. The victims of the fire were directed to occupy accommodation as far away as Ngau Chi Wan in Kowloon. This means of solving a problem bemocks the kind gesture intended. Just imagine the plight of these fire-stricken people, banished as it were from their habitual environs where they had been living for generations, among friends and relatives, and thrown to the mercies of life to break new ground in a strange neighbourhood, just because they had to accept the only roof over their heads. Our resettlement planners should have given thought to these unfortunates in terms of heartaches at having to leave all they held dear, and despair at having to forego
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