1962 — Page 116

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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

DR. LEE:-Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask a

supplementary question on this and that is: To what extent has the Curator taken

steps to obtain permanent exhibits for the museum?

CHAIRMAN:-I would like to look into that question and inform you later of the answer. As far as I am aware, no steps have yet been taken towards the acquisition of permanent exhibits, but I may be

wrong.

DR. LEE-How many times has the panel of experts been con- sulted in regard to the acquisition of exhibits for the museum?

CHAIRMAN:--Sir, I regret that I cannot give you an answer im- mediately. Perhaps the Chairman of the Museum and Art Gallery Sub-Committee could say.

MR. WATSON:-Mr. Chairman, as far as I know, in spite of a certain amount of pressure from us that such consultation should take place, none has in fact taken place.

CHAIRMAN :---If that is the case, I believe that it is linked with the opinion of the Manager of the City Hall and the Curator that there is a need for professional staff to assist in collecting the exhibits.

MR. BERNACCHI : Mr. Chairman, the Curator is to be congratu- lated on the interesting exhibitions that he has organized, but could not an exhibition be organized of local archaeological finds at present in the Colony, because the majority of exhibitions so far have been art exhibi- tions rather than museum exhibitions?

CHAIRMAN:-I will certainly consider your suggestion, Sir.

DR. LEE:--In view of the reply to my last supplementary question, Mr. Chairman, are you prepared to take up with the Curator of the Museum and Art Gallery the need to take positive steps to bring our experts together and acquire as many local exhibits as soon as possible?

CHAIRMAN: --Yes, Sir, I will. I think that the Manager of the City Hall and the Curator are aware of my opinion that too much weight seems to have been given in the past to the artistic side of the Museum and Art Gallery rather than to the museum side. I would like to point out, Sir, that I have been assured by the Establishment Branch of the Colonial Secretariat that, as soon as possible this month, and certainly before the end of this month, an investigation into the staff required, that is, the posts of Assistant Curator, Museum Assistant and Technical Assistant--will be carried out with expedition, and that a recommendation will then be made to the Establishment Committee of Finance Committee. It is hoped that we will get approval for the posts for the Museum before the end of this financial year. The fact

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that these posts will not be shown in the Estimates for 1963/64 should not delay recruitment to them. I think that where delays are most likely to occur will be in finding suitable people.

DR. LEE: Can the Chairman give this Council an assurance that top priority will be given to the Council's request for the old Murray Barracks Officers' Mess to be used as a museum?

CHAIRMAN:-Sir, it is not within my competence to say whether top priority will be given, but Government knows well, and has recently been reminded of, the interest of this Council in the possibility of using that building.

MR. FUNG HON-CHU asked the following question:-

Will the Chairman please enlighten the Council on the

following:

(a) The number of pavement squatters that has been re-

settled during the year that has just ended?

(b) The latest figure of existing pavement squatters. Does it represent an increase/decrease over the pre- vious year? If this shows an increase, what measures are in hand or are proposed to arrest this tendency? THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows:-

I should first explain that there are two distinct categories. There are the street sleepers, who have no permanent shelters but sleep on pavements under verandahs or other canopies with possibly a tarpaulin to give added protection from the weather. Their numbers fluctuate and the Department is not directly concerned with their activities unless they try to put up permanent structures. There are also recognized squatters, most of whom have been resited after disasters such as fires and floods. Dwellers in side and scavenging lanes are listed separately.

At the beginning of 1962 there were 609 tolerated huts con- taining 677 families on Hong Kong Island and 895 such huts containing 1,072 families in Kowloon. There were also 1,594 tolerated huts in side and scavenging lanes in Hong Kong and 64 in Kowloon. Some of the street sleepers come into the category of persistent squatters as they repeatedly erect structures which have to be demol ished. The number of persistent offenders is higher in Kowloon than Hong Kong.

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