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their jobs, thus losing their very livelihood. The perpetuation of that human right to live as well as to work should be accorded every facility. No resettlement plan should be considered suitable for adoption, unless all facilities pertaining are ready for use, such as supply of water and electricity, sanitation, means of communication and adequate transportation and last but most important, available venues of employment, so that people thus accommodated can find a means of livelihood.
Resettlement and Flatted Factories: On this same occasion last year, I urged the consideration of my proposal to build flatted factories in the midst of or near to resettlement areas, and I have the satisfaction to know that this need is even greater today. Daily our attention is arrested by advertisement of factories to let or for sale and this is worthy of note because private enterprise had stepped in to fulfill a deficiency demanded by our fast developing industry. Industrialists would only rent or buy factories that have all attendant facilities already mentioned, for bitter experience tells them that workers will only enlist in factories within easy access of their habitation. Factories cannot operate without the necessary complement of workers, and this should make us realize that flatted factories must be situated in proximity to the availability of the labour force. I reiterate that factories and resettlement areas and vice versa should go hand in hand in all future planning. Had this been the aim in respect of the Kwun Tong Industrial Area, the great difficulty of factories there would never have arisen in enlisting their respective complement of workers. May I hope that the same mistake will not be repeated in the present development of the Industrial area in Tsuen Wan.
The "White Card" Resettlement Complex: By way of offering food for thought, I would like to invite attention to the prevailing practice of issuing "white cards" to accommodation for resettlement. These white cards are invariably given to squatter victims of Fire. Considering the number of people living in unauthorized and often dilapidated structures, unfit for habitation, it is open to doubt whether some of those frequent fires in squatter areas had not been motivated by certain selfish elements in their desire to qualify for possession of such "white cards". I believe there is justification to follow up this doubt seriously.
Licensing Procedure and Corruption: Before I resume my seat, Mr. Chairman, may I congratulate you on your taking the laudable lead to simplify licensing formalities. Such a move at reform will serve as an incentive to other departments, who are as much concerned in the eradication of corruption within their fold. Corruption stems from impatience and ignorance on the part of the layman, and the complicated formalities which are abused to cause delays on the part of the dishonourable public servant. In the interest of the public, outmoded formalities should be thrown overboard. Happy would be the day when a citizen could obtain a licence as easily as at present buying a stamp, and by then corruption could be hoped to be an evil of the past.
In conclusion, may I take the opportunity to express admiration of my fellow members, appointed or elected, for their unfailing co-operation and for their public-spiritedness, never yet publicized, in working for the well-being of the community, both in Council and in Committee. With these remarks, Mr. Chairman, it gives me pleasure to support your Statement of progress and policy.
MR. BROOK BERNACCHI:- Mr. Chairman, these annual conventional debates are becoming far too much like the vague echoings of remarks which have already been made in another Council and I for one do not intend to do very much yapping. Mr. CHAN Shu-woon has already made reference to my remarks in this Council only a short while ago that Government has got to make up its mind either this Council becomes a proper Municipal Council or it might just as well pack up.
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21
The Honourable the Director of Public Works sits opposite me here. He is a Member of this Council. Why? Are we in the least bit concerned with public works? Have we anything whatsoever to say in respect to building works, road works or anything else of that nature in this city? A former Commissioner of Police used to be a Member of this Council but Government took him off eventually simply because he just refused to come to the Meetings. And why? Presumably because the views of this Council were not of the least bit of interest to him. I agree that there are aspects of the Police work in Hong Kong which could not conveniently be under even a Municipal Council; but there are others that can and ought to be. Traffic, for instance, and the problem of parking. The Director of Public Works at least does us the courtesy of coming to our Meetings but he is an outspoken opponent of the principle that this Council should become a highway authority and the whole idea of a highway authority shows signs of degenerating into some sub-committee of the Public Works Department.
Even in the matter of hawkers, it was only after very considerable pressure that we got the Police to agree to appoint some very junior officers as Police liaison officers to sit with the Hawker Select Committees but that did not prevent the Police in Kowloon the other day from carrying out a hawker policy entirely on their own. I say the Commissioner of Police should be a Member of this Council and that it was insulting of a former Commissioner of Police to walk out on this Council and that we should take an interest in and have some measure of control over a number of problems at present under Police control and that includes the licensing of cinemas and theatres and dancing establishments.
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their jobs, thus losing their very livelihood. The perpetuation of that human right to live as well as to work should be accorded every facility. No resettlement plan should be considered suitable for adoption, unless all facilities pertaining are ready for use, such as supply of water and electricity, sanitation, means of communication and adequate trans- portation and last but most important, available venues of employment, so that people thus accommodated can find a means of livelihood.
Resettlement and Flatted Factories: On this same occasion last year, I urged the consideration of my proposal to build flatted factories in the midst of or near to resettlement areas, and I have the satisfaction to know that this need is even greater today. Daily our attention is arrested by advertisement of factories to let or for sale and this is worthy of note because private enterprise had stepped in to fulfill a deficiency demanded by our fast developing industry. Industrialists would only rent or buy factories that have all attendant facilities already mentioned, for bitter experience tells them that workers will only enlist in factories within easy access of their habitation. Factories cannot operate without the necessary complement of workers, and this should make us realize that flatted factories must be situated in proximity to the availability of the labour force. I reiterate that factories and resettlement areas and vice versa should go hand in hand in all future planning. Had this been the aim in respect of the Kwun Tong Industrial Area, the great difficulty of factories there would never have arisen in enlisting their respective complement of workers. May I hope that the same mistake will not be repeated in the present development of the Industrial area in Tsuen Wan.
The "White Card" Resettlement Complex: By way of offering food for thought, I would like to invite attention to the prevailing practice of issuing "white cards" to accommodation for resettlement. These white cards are invariably given to squatter victims of Fire. Considering the number of people living in unauthorized and often dilapidated structures, unfit for habitation, it is open to doubt whether some of those frequent fires in squatter areas had not been motivated by certain selfish elements in their desire to qualify for possession of such "white cards". I believe there is justification to follow up this doubt seriously.
Licensing Procedure and Corruption: Before I resume my seat, Mr. Chairman, may I congratulate you on your taking the laudable lead to simplify licensing formalities. Such a move at reform will serve as an incentive to other departments, who are as much concerned in the eradication of corruption within their fold. Corruption stems from impatience and ignorance on the part of the layman, and the complicated formalities which are abused to cause delays on the part of the dis- honourable public servant. In the interest of the public, outmoded for
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21
malities should be thrown overboard. Happy would be the day when a citizen could obtain a licence as easily as at present buying a stamp. and by then corruption could be hoped to be an evil of the past.
In conclusion, may I take the opportunity to express admiration of my fellow members, appointed or elected, for their unfailing co- operation and for their public-spiritedness, never yet publicized, in working for the well-being of the community, both in Council and in Committee. With these remarks, Mr. Chairman, it gives me pleasure to support your Statement of progress and policy.
MR. BROOK BERNACCHI:-Mr. Chairman, these annual conventional debates are becoming far too much like the vague echoings of remarks which have already been made in another Council and I for one do not intend to do very much yapping. Mr. CHAN Shu-woon has already made reference to my remarks in this Council only a short while ago that Government has got to make up its mind either this Council becomes a proper Municipal Council or it might just as well pack up.
The Honourable the Director of Public Works sits opposite me here. He is a Member of this Council. Why? Are we in the least bit concerned with public works? Have we anything whatsoever to say in respect to building works, road works or anything else of that nature in this city? A former Commissioner of Police used to be a Member of this Council but Government took him off eventually simply because he just refused to come to the Meetings. And why? Presumably because the views of this Council were not of the least bit of interest to him. I agree that there are aspects of the Police work in Hong Kong which could not conveniently be under even a Municipal Council; but there are others that can and ought to be. Traffic, for instance, and the problem of parking. The Director of Public Works at least does us the courtesy of coming to our Meetings but he is an outspoken opponent of the principle that this Council should become a highway authority and the whole idea of a highway authority shows signs of degenerating into some sub-committee of the Public Works Department.
Even in the matter of hawkers, it was only after very considerable pressure that we got the Police to agree to appoint some very junior officers as Police liaison officers to sit with the Hawker Select Com- mittees but that did not prevent the Police in Kowloon the other day from carrying out a hawker policy entirely on their own. I say the Commissioner of Police should be a Member of this Council and that it was insulting of a former Commissioner of Police to walk out on this Council and that we should take an interest in and have some measure of control over a number of problems at present under Police control and that includes the licensing of cinemas and theatres and dancing establishments.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.