1962 — Page 17

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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

MR. J. L. MARDEN:-Mr. Chairman, the Supplementary Hawker Report has now been adopted by the Council and at the same time the impact of the expanding Hawker Control Force has been making itself felt on the hawkers.

There have been complaints, quite naturally, from the Hawkers themselves as they now find that they are being stopped from carrying on as they have been until now. It doesn't occur to them that they have, in fact, been breaking the law and that the Control Force is not acting on their own volition but are putting into force what has been decided by this Council. Whilst I said previously that the ultimate aim is to remove the hawkers from the streets into bazaars and markets, it will not be possible for some considerable time to come because of the low priority being given to the projects effecting these moves.

Last year during the outbreak of cholera a large proportion of the Council's staff was employed in the prevention of additional sources of infection, especially in measures taken to prevent the sale of food that might have been contaminated and, as the statement says, they were on a twenty-four hour basis. I might say that the public health is of paramount importance in all its aspects and many of the measures The needed to protect this necessitates dealing with the hawkers. licensed ones are more easily dealt with, but occasions turn up when unlicensed hawkers are not only selling food for human consumption, but are also occupying sites allocated to licensed hawkers and have to be removed forcibly and vociferously.

With the rapid development of buildings in the Colony, suitable places for resiting of hawkers and especially cooked food stalls are becoming more difficult to find. Whilst it is appreciated that these stalls, properly controlled, serve a useful function in providing cheap meals for various workers in the Colony, it might perhaps be a better solution in new industrial areas to start off with and to provide Economy canteens controlled by the Council which would meet the need for cheap wholesome food. With the policy of succession at the moment making for the gradual elimination of this particular type of stall, these Economy canteens could be introduced into other areas. This would also make the control from the public health point of view much easier.

Under the present system, after four convictions which are not usually very onerous, within twelve months, a hawker can have his licence suspended. This is a very effective punishment but is only exercised after repeated warnings have been made by the departmental staff. Mr. BERNACCHI said last year, "Corruption should be stamped on from the outset". It has been suggested that some members of the Hawker Control Force have been using their positions of authority

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

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corruptly in connexion with the threat of a suspension of these licences. If this is true, then it is essential that it be dealt with as soon as pos- sible if it has been proved.

However, the Hawker Control Force is essential if the hawkers are to be continued and if they are to be effectually controlled then their establishment must be universal and accommodation must be found for both the administration and for the new Hawker Control Force per- sonnel. It is unfortunate that criticism is being levelled against them for doing their jobs, but it is also essential that they are not officious.

Last year "abattoirs" were a problem: now the Abattoirs Progress sub-committee of Finance Committee of Legislative Council has ap- proved the sketch plans for the two new abattoirs in Kennedy Town and Cheung Sha Wan, and the real work begins. Under the new scheme more of the work now done at the slaughterhouses by the dealers themselves will be taken over by the Council's staff with a resultant increase in fees to be charged, and it is essential that the new system is explained to the dealers, not only in detail but also in plenty of time. This latter should not be difficult as the scheme will not be completed for three years.

I would like to pay tribute to the staff employed at the Kennedy Town and Ma Tau Kok abattoirs for the work that they have done and are doing in running these two blood baths as efficiently as they do under the most trying conditions. Especially the inspection side which con- demns the meat unfit for human consumption and so protects the public health.

In the Des Voeux Road West area is centred most of that particu- larly offensive "Offensive Trade", fish drying, and to a certain extent the preparation of sharks' fins. Under the Offensive Trade By-laws 1960 they were given two years to move into certain delineated areas reserved for offensive trades. Unfortunately, this period has had to be extended as the area set aside in Aberdeen is not yet available. It is essential that in order that these and the other offensive trades can be removed as quickly as possible, that this land is made ready as soon as possible and that the conditions of sale are restricted to each particular type so that other users are not tempted to bid for the land for other purposes.

I would also recommend to those in the bone boiling, storing and grinding industry to investigate a new process developed in Australia, whereby for a modest outlay of capital they are able to hasten the process without any of the nauseating smell resulting from the tradi- tional method now in use in the Kennedy Town area.

Again, with the concentration of the industry in specified areas, it will be easier to control from a public health angle.