1961 — Page 12

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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

In contrast I want to mention a rather different sort of building-- the new City Hall. To the casual observer work does not seem to be progressing very fast but we are assured that all will be ready for the opening next March. It is going to be a magnificent opening-Select Committees are already preparing for it. For 2 or 3 weeks Hong Kong will show itself as a centre of cultural advancement. But then what? We must not allow this City Hall to become a White Elephant. Galleries, the Lecture Rooms, the Banqueting Hall, even the Museum and Art Gallery could become Mausoleums if the City Hall is not made into a true centre for the public of Hong Kong. Culture is to be encouraged but it must not be put on an altar with only so-called intel- lectuals permitted to act as its high priests. There are over 3 million people in Hong Kong and I will not be satisfied with the City Hall unless each one of those 3 million people come to regard it as their own City Hall, their own centre.

Talking of the public as a whole, I turn to another perennial aspect of our work, namely the Hawker problem. The principle remains the same as ever, that is to provide Hawkers with the means of livelihood, the housewife with the means of buying family necessities at reasonable prices, the worker with the means of obtaining cheap meals, whilst at the same time keeping the streets clean and healthy, consistent with the position of Hong Kong as a modern, leading city of the world. This requires co-operation from all sides and a happy working solution has still to be found. The Hawkers Report of 1957 will need considerable revision in the coming year and in particular it will be necessary to work out more clearly the role of the Hawker Control Force. The Hawker Control Force itself is a child of this Council conceived originally from the recommendations of the Hawker Report. I for one am determined to see that the members of this force observe the highest standards in their dealings with hawkers and public alike. It is essential that any corruption is stamped on from the outset. This Council, through the Hawkers Select Committee, must demand the fullest investigation of every allegation of corruption that is made in connexion with those responsible for Hawker control. I would add however that we are de- termined to face this problem from strength and not from weakness and the odd person who tries to win sympathy with false tales of corruption will receive short shrift. It is essential that both the hawkers and the staff feel and realize that they will get a fair deal from the Council.

I have mentioned the need to determine the proper role of the Hawker Control Force. We are satisfied that the role must be more extensive than that originally proposed and it was in accordance with this view that a considerable increase in the force was asked for in the new financial year. Unfortunately this matter did not go forward to Government with the full weight of a reasoned case from either the

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Hawkers Select Committee or the Estimates Select Committee, and was turned down out of hand. The cost of Government has to be kept down and for this reason alone it is essential in future for the Select Com- mittees concerned to go very carefully into the estimates of the Council and to prepare a proper case for any increase in our staffing require-

ments.

Whilst I would favour giving power to this Council to raise its own revenue and face the public directly in answer to criticism, the present trend is the other way round. The new Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance contemplates a uniformed Public Health Service working under the direction not only of this Council but also in years to come local Councils in the townships of the New Territories. Indeed one is tempted to wonder whether the Government is contemplating the possibility of indirect Elections to the Legislative Council through local Councils as was partly proposed in the 1947 Municipal Council Bill. I content myself with saying that whilst any such proposals would have to be very carefully considered and are not as acceptable to us as direct election, nevertheless we of the Coalition intend to continue to work under the position envisaged by the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance. We will give this scheme of a unified service working under different authorities in different districts every chance of success, and if ultimately constitutional reform is to develop in the way I have mention- ed, then we say that we welcome any reasonable step towards improving the relations between Government and the people. Nothing can be worse than to go on year after year in the same way, ignoring the warning of storm clouds on the horizon.

(Mr. BERNACCHI excused himself and left the meeting at this stage).

MR. A. DE O. SALES:—Mr. Chairman, I speak in support of your motion.

Housing Nearly every year in this Annual Debate I have put in a plea for the apparently forgotten Hong Kong Man whose plight is often as bad as, if not in fact worse, than that of the squatter. The need to provide him with better housing seems to have been lost in the multitude of competing claims on public funds. This is indeed strange for housing is one of Government's major achievements amid an impressive array of social and economic programmes. True, a rapidly increasing population has aggravated housing and other problems. Still, by comparison with the 379,890 squatters resettled so far, little has been done for the low-income people whose home has always been in Hong Kong. Last year we were told that in certain given circum- stances Government intended setting aside a portion of the improved resettlement-type of accommodation for them. We were then pleased