Page 22 of 118
28
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
I was travelling down Nathan Road the other day, with permission of our member for Kowloon, and noticed a film called "Jayhawkers”, which I suggest is a good name for this particular, and we hope vanishing, breed.
As a result of this co-operation the number of arrests of peddler hawkers has fallen from over 5,700 in the first two months of last year to only 246 in the same two months this year. All the tax payers must be very pleased to see the saving on man hours of the Police, Hawker Control Units and naturally the time of the Courts. The main spear point is directed to the health angle by concentrating on illegal "cooked food" hawkers.
Mention was made last year of the introduction of the Hawker Control Unit which will come into full operation this year and when it is properly established the whole problem of hawkers and their control will be unified and make for better administrative efficiency. I say this without in any way decrying the work that the Police have done in the past and without whose co-operation the problem could never have been solved. Another department which works in close co-operation with the Council on these problems is the Social Welfare Department who do an immense amount of the investigations that are necessary before licences can be granted and who have placed 62 hawker licences to ex-employees of the Naval Dockyard, and another 100 others refused these licences.
This year the Urban Service Department estimates are up some $6,800,000 over last year, from $22 million odd to $28,859,000. 680 new employees are to be taken on making a total of 9,200. This includes an increase of 117 in the Hawkers Control Unit, a new section of the department.
Against this can be stated that the Rates, which traditionally are levied to pay for the Police Force and has grown to cover the miscellaneous functions of local government have increased from $19,000,000 in 1949 to an estimated $93,000,000 this year. The rise in numbers are necessitated by the continual increase in services performed by the Urban Services Department through the continual expansion in housing and population which makes more and more demands on the various sections of the Urban Services Department. The majority of the increases have, however, been in the various categories of manual workers and the large increase in the cost of the department is due mainly to the general increase in salaries and wages. Any further recruits must be even more carefully considered and planned than they are at present.
It has been put forward that many of the functions performed by the various committees of the Urban Council, through which most, if not all, the work of the Council is carried out, could be carried out by personnel of the departments themselves, thus in some way relieving the Members of many hours of work. However, although the personnel of the various departments are extremely efficient and conscientious, it would not be wise to do without the advice of members, however unqualified, whether appointed or elected.
In the United Kingdom local government, which covers the same functions as are performed here by the Urban Council, plus many of which do not come under our control has fallen into disrepute through the apathy of the people they so faithfully serve. Here in Hong Kong one could almost say the same thing as far as the public itself is concerned, but it should not be, as the aspects of Government that are felt by everyone every day in some form or another is some function being exercised by the Urban Council in keeping the Colony ticking. I am certain that they would welcome the suggestion made by an honourable gentleman in another place that their department should be investigated as to efficiency and to receive suggestions how it could be even more efficiency run.
Before I close I would like to take this opportunity, Sir, of thanking you and all the members of staff in the Urban Council and or Urban Services Department, a confusing state of affairs for a new comer, for the unfailing and courteous manner in which they have explained what are simple things to them and which are now becoming less complicated to me, and also to my fellow members, both appointed and elected.
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN :----Mr. Chairman, I do not find it at all difficult to accept the Statement of Progress and Policy tabled today. It is a well-considered and well-written document.
I congratulate you, Mr. Chairman, on the praiseworthy efforts that you have expended during the past 12 months in your dual capacity as Chairman of the Urban Council and Head of the Urban Services Department.
Also to be congratulated is the Head of the Resettlement Department for his fine accomplishments in the field for which he is responsible.
Having made these preliminary remarks, I now turn to a number of subjects which without any doubt are of vital concern to the people of Hong Kong.
No matter how well and efficient an organization is run, there is always room for even greater improvement. As the Urban Services and Resettlement Departments are among the two largest employers of labour among the Government departments, I think it is desirable that a management survey be made of these two departments (and for that
29
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Page 23 of 118
∞
Page 22 of 118
28
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
I was travelling down Nathan Road the other day, with permission of our member for Kowloon, and noticed a film called "Jayhawkers”, which I suggest is a good name for this particular, and we hope vanish- ing, breed.
As a result of this co-operation the number of arrests of peddler hawkers has fallen from over 5,700 in the first two months of last year to only 246 in the same two months this year. All the tax payers must be very pleased to see the saving on man hours of the Police, Hawker Control Units and naturally the time of the Courts. The main spear point is directed to the health angle by concentrating on illegal "cooked food" hawkers.
Mention was made last year of the introduction of the Hawker Control Unit which will come into full operation this year and when it is properly established the whole problem of hawkers and their control will be unified and make for better administrative efficiency. I say this without in any way decrying the work that the Police have done in the past and without whose co-operation the problem could never have been solved. Another department which works in close co-operation with the Council on these problems is the Social Welfare Department who do an immense amount of the investigations that are necessary before licences can be granted and who have placed 62 hawker licences to ex-employees of the Naval Dockyard, and another 100 others refused these licences.
This year the Urban Service Department estimates are up some $6,800,000 over last year, from $22 million odd to $28,859,000. 680 new employees are to be taken on making a total of 9,200. This includes an increase of 117 in the Hawkers Control Unit, a new section of the department.
Against this can be stated that the Rates, which traditionally are levied to pay for the Police Force and has grown to cover the miscel- laneous functions of local government have increased from $19,000,000 in 1949 to an estimated $93,000,000 this year. The rise in numbers are necessitated by the continual increase in services performed by the Urban Services Department through the continual expansion in housing and population which makes more and more demands on the various sections of the Urban Services Department. The majority of the increases have, however, been in the various categories of manual workers and the large increase in the cost of the department is due mainly to the general increase in salaries and wages. Any further recruits must be even more carefully considered and planned than they are at present.
It has been put forward that many of the functions performed by the various committees of the Urban Council, through which most, if not all, the work of the Council is carried out, could be carried out by
:
!
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
29
personnel of the departments themselves, thus in some way relieving the Members of many hours of work. However, although the personnel of the various departments are extremely efficient and conscientious, it would not be wise to do without the advice of members, however unqualified, whether appointed or elected.
In the United Kingdom local government, which covers the same functions as are performed here by the Urban Council, plus many of which do not come under our control has fallen into disrepute through the apathy of the people they so faithfully serve. Here in Hong Kong one could almost say the same thing as far as the public itself is con- cerned, but it should not be, as the aspects of Government that are felt by everyone every day in some form or another is some function being exercised by the Urban Council in keeping the Colony ticking. I am certain that they would welcome the suggestion made by an honourable gentleman in another place that their department should be investigated as to efficiency and to receive suggestions how it could be even more efficiency run.
Before I close I would like to take this opportunity, Sir, of thanking you and all the members of staff in the Urban Council and or Urban Services Department, a confusing state of affairs for a new comer, for the unfailing and courteous manner in which they have explained what are simple things to them and which are now becoming less complicated to me, and also to my fellow members, both appointed and elected.
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN :----Mr. Chairman, I do not find it at all difficult to accept the Statement of Progress and Policy tabled today. It is a well-considered and well-written document.
I congratulate you, Mr. Chairman, on the praiseworthy efforts that you have expended during the past 12 months in your dual capacity as Chairman of the Urban Council and Head of the Urban Services Department.
Also to be congratulated is the Head of the Resettlement Depart- ment for his fine accomplishments in the field for which he is respon- sible.
Having made these preliminary remarks, I now turn to a number of subjects which without any doubt are of vital concern to the people of Hong Kong.
No matter how well and efficient an organization is run, there is always room for even greater improvement. As the Urban Services and Resettlement Departments are among the two largest employers of labour among the Government departments, I think it is desirable that a management survey be made of these two departments (and for that
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