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He said: The purpose of this resolution is to ensure that, prior to the coming into force of the nine sets of By-laws made under the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance and already passed by the Legislature, Council has delegated these powers to the Select Committees and public officers who will enforce these By-laws.
THE VICE-CHAIRMAN seconded.
The question was put and agreed to.
The Motion was carried.
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN moved the following resolution:
"RESOLVED that:
(a) The Urban Council consider taking early steps to provide district libraries;
(b) The Kaifong Associations be consulted by Council on the needs of the various districts;
(c) Such needs be taken into consideration in the planning of the new City Hall Library;
(d) This Motion be referred to the relevant Select Committee or Committees by the Chairman for more detailed study and implementation.
He said: Mr. Chairman, many years ago when a student I used to go occasionally to the old City Hall building in Queen's Road Central and borrow a book or two. I must admit that I never went there too often, but I do recall that whenever I visited the building, living in Kowloon as I did at that time, it often took me an hour or an hour and a half to come across.
I do not remember in which year it was that the old City Hall building was demolished, but since then, the residents of Hong Kong have been without a public library.
We are, of course, building our new City Hall and I understand that it will be completed in 18 months, that is, providing the Honourable Director of Public Works lives up to his promises. In this new City Hall, we are going to have a public library.
In the last 15 years, Hong Kong has grown tremendously and I am sure that Members will agree that with 2.4 million people in the urban areas, one main public library is insufficient.
There are, of course, a few children's libraries in the urban areas and many of these were provided by the Hong Kong Junior Chamber of Commerce. Some of them are reading rooms which have been established by the Kaifong Associations, but the facilities in these reading rooms are extremely limited and I do suggest, Mr. Chairman,
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
that it is time for the various Kaifong Associations, which have been so deservedly lauded by His Excellency the Governor at the last Kaifong Day, to be consulted, and their views and suggestions obtained as regards any provision of district libraries.
The Kaifong Associations have already demonstrated their willingness to co-operate and they have in fact assisted the Urban Services Department in some aspects of Council's work, particularly in the "Keep Your City Clean" campaign and in finding solutions to some aspects of hawker control. I am sure that, if asked, the Kaifong Associations would warmly welcome the opportunity to work with the Urban Services Department in examining the need for and in finding a method to establish district libraries.
It has been suggested that there are anywhere between 55,000 to 80,000 children of school age in the urban areas who are not going to school and this is one of the reasons why Members of Council should be interested in the early provision of district libraries. The idea of a district library is that it should cater primarily for the people in the locality, apart from the factor of convenience. The district library could also be a centre for adult education providing enlightenment and even entertainment for both young and old, and in this manner the district library could perform a useful role in developing sound and responsible citizenship.
It is my hope, Mr. Chairman, that this motion will set the wheels into operation, whereby the matter can be thoroughly studied by the relevant Select Committees, and later on, the Urban Services Department could approach different Kaifong Associations to obtain their views and suggestions so that the people in the urban areas may look forward in the not too distant future to having district libraries.
MR. LI YIU-BOR: Mr. Chairman, when Mr. Hilton CHEONG-LEEN asked me to second his motion, he told me that he would speak for about 5 minutes and hinted, very broadly, that I should emulate his example. This I am now happy to do, although I am not too sure whether brevity and punctuality are the two outstanding qualities of my esteemed colleague. (Laughter). This I must hasten to add is no reflection on the part of his other qualities.
My task in seconding the motion is also an easy one, for few can quarrel with the idea of this motion, although one might doubt its timing, in view of our heavy agenda this afternoon. Hong Kong has often been referred to, rightly or wrongly, as a city without culture. Few can argue that it is the work of this Council to cater for the reading needs of the public in the urban area, and that the sooner we make a start, the better.
I have had the opportunity of visiting the few reading rooms run by certain Kaifong Associations in Kowloon, and as far as I can gather,
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Page 89 of 118
162
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
He said: The purpose of this resolution is to ensure that, prior to the coming into force of the nine sets of By-laws made under the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance and already passed by the Legislature, Council has delegated these powers to the Select Com- mittees and public officers who will enforce these By-laws.
THE VICE-CHAIRMAN seconded.
The question was put and agreed to.
The Motion was carried.
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN moved the following resolution:
"RESOLVED that:
(a) The Urban Council consider taking early steps to
provide district libraries;
(b) The Kaifong Associations be consulted by Council
on the needs of the various districts;
(c) Such needs be taken into consideration in the plan-
ning of the new City Hall Library;
(d) This Motion be referred to the relevant Select Com- mittee or Committees by the Chairman for more detailed study and implementation.
He said: Mr. Chairman, many years ago when a student I used to go occasionally to the old City Hall building in Queen's Road Central and borrow a book or two. I must admit that I never went there too often, but I do recall that whenever I visited the building, living in Kowloon as I did at that time, it often took me an hour or an hour and a half to come across.
I do not remember in which year it was that the old City Hall building was demolished, but since then, the residents of Hong Kong have been without a public library.
We are, of course, building our new City Hall and I understand that it will be completed in 18 months, that is, providing the Honourable Director of Public Works lives up to his promises. In this new City Hall, we are going to have a public library.
In the last 15 years, Hong Kong has grown tremendously and I am sure that Members will agree that with 24 million people in the urban areas, one main public library is insufficient.
There are, of course, a few children's libraries in the urban areas and many of these were provided by the Hong Kong Junior Chamber of Commerce. Some of them are reading rooms which have been established by the Kaifong Associations, but the facilities in these reading rooms are extremely limited and I do suggest, Mr. Chairman,
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163
that it is time for the various Kaifong Associations, which have been so deservedly lauded by His Excellency the Governor at the last Kaifong Day, to be consulted, and their views and suggestions obtained as regards any provision of district libraries.
The Kaifong Associations have already demonstrated their willing- ness to co-operate and they have in fact assisted the Urban Services Department in some aspects of Council's work, particularly in the "Keep Your City Clean" campaign and in finding solutions to some aspects of hawker control. I am sure that, if asked, the Kaifong Associations would warmly welcome the opportunity to work with the Urban Services Department in examining the need for and in finding a method to establish district libraries.
It has been suggested that there are anywhere between 55,000 to 80,000 children of school age in the urban areas who are not going to school and this is one of the reasons why Members of Council should be interested in the early provision of district libraries. The idea of a district library is that it should cater primarily for the people in the locality, apart from the factor of convenience. The district library could also be a centre for adult education providing enlightenment and even entertainment for both young and old, and in this manner the district library could perform a useful role in developing sound and responsible citizenship.
It is my hope, Mr. Chairman, that this motion will set the wheels into operation, whereby the matter can be thoroughly studied by the relevant Select Committees, and later on, the Urban Services Depart- ment could approach different Kaifong Associations to obtain their views and suggestions so that the people in the urban areas may look forward in the not too distant future to having district libraries.
MR. LI YIU-BOR: -Mr. Chairman, when Mr. Hilton CHEONG-LEEN asked me to second his motion, he told me that he would speak for about 5 minutes and hinted, very broadly, that I should emulate his example. This I am now happy to do, although I am not too sure whether brevity and punctuality are the two outstanding qualities of my esteemed colleague. (Laughter). This I must hasten to add is no reflection on the part of his other qualities.
My task in seconding the motion is also an easy one, for few can quarrel with the idea of this motion, although one might doubt its timing, in view of our heavy agenda this afternoon. Hong Kong has often been referred to, rightly or wrongly, as a city without culture. Few can argue that it is the work of this Council to cater for the reading needs of the public in the urban area, and that the sooner we make a start, the better.
I have had the opportunity of visiting the few reading rooms run by certain Kaifong Associations in Kowloon, and as far as I can gather,
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.