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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN.
Before the start of formal business to-day, I am sure that Members will wish me to mark this important occasion of the enlargement of the Council by four new members by extending a warm welcome to those concerned. I also include in this welcome the member appointed to replace Mr. WATSON.
We have four newcomers with us, taking their seats for the first time to-day: Mr. Hu, Mr. LAM, Mr. LOBO and Mr. FORSGATE. I express to them our best wishes for a long and beneficial association with this Council.
Dr. BELL is no stranger to us. My real pleasure in welcoming her back to the Council is matched only by my trepidation at the impending and inevitable onslaught which we on the official side must now face. (Laughter). And perhaps I should warn my Official colleagues that I have put us further into hazard by ruling out of order no less than four questions which Dr. BELL wished to ask at this meeting. (Laughter).
Let me also welcome Mr. WAKEFIELD, who takes his seat on the Council for the first time as Commissioner for Resettlement.
Finally, Members will wish me to extend to Mr. SALES our congratulations on the high honour recently bestowed upon him by the Spanish Government. (Applause). I can only hope that from his new pinnacle of knighthood he will contemplate our shortcomings with a benign forbearance. (Laughter).
DR. R. H. S. LEE:-Mr. Chairman, on behalf of the Elected Members, it gives me great pleasure in endorsing your remarks. It is the first time, as far as I can remember, that we are able to welcome so many old and new members to this Council at the beginning of a new financial year. In previous years this ceremony has always coincided with the Annual Debate.
In my long association with the Council I have seldom seen so many energetic ladies and gentlemen who have wholeheartedly given and continue to give their devoted and dedicated service to the public as we are seeing to-day. They have no selfish thought of private gain or self-aggrandizement, but only what they can do to make Hong Kong a better place. This in no way excludes the Official Members; at this juncture, I would like to extend our Elected colleagues' welcome to Mr. James WAKEFIELD—who are as keen and friendly as the Unofficials.
Mr. Brook BERNACCHI, who is the doyen of this Council, has the longest record of service and can proudly claim to have led this Council to its present state. Dr. Alison BELL, the first elected woman in Hong Kong to have made the grade, gives fully of her valuable time to the work of the Council. Mr. Li Yiu-bor, whom I am sorry to see is not here with us to-day because of his eye ailment, Dr. P. F. Woo and Mr. Hilton CHEONG-LEEN are no strangers to us and are equally conscientious in their Council work. I have no reason to doubt that Mr. Henry Hu, Mr. R. H. LOBO, Mr. Daniel S. H. LAM and Mr. H. M. G. FORSGATE, the other four new Members who have made their marks in other fields of endeavour, will prove no less co-operative and energetic in giving their services to the Council. I am sure that with our previous record of accomplishments we will continue to make Hong Kong a leading metropolitan city of the Far East, famous for its commerce, stability and free enterprise and to make the Urban Council even more effective as a City Council commensurate with its heavy duties and responsibilities.
With these remarks, Mr. Chairman, I am happy to welcome the old and new members as colleagues with a common purpose and I wish them happiness and success in sharing the joint work of the Council. (Applause).
MR. A. de O. SALES:-Mr. Chairman, I listened with rapt admiration to Dr. LEE's eloquence. I and the Appointed Members were under the impression that the elections being over, such speeches would not be necessary. (Laughter). In point of fact, we had an understanding with the Elected Members that having given them the field for months and months before the elections, they would now remain silent for a bit and leave the field open to Appointed Members to make speeches and ask questions. Sir, may I say how obliged I am for your good wishes upon the honour which has been conferred on me. I have always thought that I have shown remarkable forbearance in not pointing out to Government the shortcomings which are so glaring. However, I have been evidently very much misunderstood by the Official Members in trying to help them to do an even better job than they are actually doing.
My Appointed colleagues wish me to congratulate all our friends who have been returned to this Council. We are delighted that they are back with us and we wish them many long years of useful work in the public interest. To-day, we welcome also the return of Dr. BELL. Dr. BELL, as you have rightly pointed out, Sir, has been in fact a tower of strength in this Council. I am indeed somewhat taken aback by the fact that on Dr. BELL's first re-appearance in the Council you have so heavily exercised your discretion in her favour by admitting her question without requiring the prescribed period of notice. However, as Dr. BELL lives in Kowloon, or claims that she does, (Laughter) I am willing to support the exercise of that discretion. I am sure that Mr. Hu will do much useful work. As for the new Appointed colleagues, they have all won their spurs in public service in Hong Kong, so we think their appointment will certainly foster the public interest.
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Page 12 of 382
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN.
Before the start of formal business to-day, I am sure that Members will wish me to mark this important occasion of the enlargement of the Council by four new members by extending a warm welcome to those concerned. I also include in this welcome the member appointed to replace Mr. WATSON.
We have four newcomers with us, taking their seats for the first time to-day: Mr. Hu, Mr. LAM, Mг. LOBO and Mr. FORSGATE. I express to them our best wishes for a long and beneficial association with this Council.
Dr. BELL is no stranger to us. My real pleasure in welcoming her back to the Council is matched only by my trepidation at the impending and inevitable onslaught which we on the official side must now face. (Laughter). And perhaps I should warn my Official col- leagues that I have put us further into hazard by ruling out of order no less than four questions which Dr. BELL wished to ask at this meeting. (Laughter).
Let me also welcome Mr. WAKEFIELD, who takes his seat on the Council for the first time as Commissioner for Resettlement.
Finally, Members will wish me to extend to Mr. SALES our con- gratulations on the high honour recently bestowed upon him by the Spanish Government. (Applause). I can only hope that from his new pinnacle of knighthood he will contemplate our shortcomings with a benign forbearance. (Laughter).
DR. R. H. S. LEE:-Mr. Chairman, on behalf of the Elected Members, it gives me great pleasure in endorsing your remarks. It is the first time, as far as I can remember, that we are able to welcome so many old and new members to this Council at the beginning of a new financial year. In previous years this ceremony has always coincided with the Annual Debate.
In my long association with the Council I have seldom seen so many energetic ladies and gentlemen who have wholeheartedly given and continue to give their devoted and dedicated service to the public as we are seeing to-day. They have no selfish thought of private gain or self-aggrandizement, but only what they can do to make Hong Kong a better place. This in no way excludes the Official Members at this juncture, I would like to extend our Elected colleagues' welcome to Mr. James WAKEFIELD-who are as keen and friendly as the Unofficials.
Mr. Brook BERNACCHI, who is the doyen of this Council, has the longest record of service and can proudly claim to have led this Council to its present state. Dr. Alison BELL, the first elected woman in Hong Kong to have made the grade, gives fully of her valuable time to
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
the work of the Council. Mr. Li Yiu-bor, whom I am sorry to see is not here with us to-day because of his eye ailment, Dr. P. F. Woo and Mr. Hilton CHEONG-LEEN are no strangers to us and are equally conscientious in their Council work. I have no reason to doubt that Mr. Henry Hu, Mr. R. H. LOBO, Mr. Daniel S. H. LAM and Mr. H. M. G. FORSGATE, the other four new Members who have made their marks in other fields of endeavour, will prove no less co-operative and energetic in giving their services to the Council. I am sure that with our previous record of accomplishments we will continue to make Hong Kong a leading metropolitan city of the Far East, famous for its commerce, stability and free enterprise and to make the Urban Council even more effective as a City Council commensurate with its heavy duties and responsibilities.
With these remarks, Mr. Chairman, I am happy to welcome the old and new members as colleagues with a common purpose and I wish them happiness and success in sharing the joint work of the Council. (Applause).
MR. A. de O. SALES: -Mr. Chairman, I listened with rapt admira- tion to Dr. LEE'S eloquence. I and the Appointed Members were under the impression that the elections being over such speeches would not be necessary. (Laughter). In point of fact, we had an understanding with the Elected Members that having given them the field for months and months before the elections, they would now remain silent for a bit and leave the field open to Appointed Members to make speeches and ask questions. Sir, may I say how obliged I am for your good wishes upon the honour which has been conferred on me. I have always thought that I have shown remarkable forbearance in not pointing out to Government the shortcomings which are so glaring. However, I have been evidently very much misunderstood by the Official Members in trying to help them to do an even better job than they are actually doing.
My Appointed colleagues wish me to congratulate all our friends who have been returned to this Council. We are delighted that they are back with us and we wish them many long years of useful work in the public interest. To-day, we welcome also the return of Dr. BELL. Dr. BELL, as you have rightly pointed out, Sir, has been in fact a tower of strength in this Council. I am indeed somewhat taken aback by the fact that on Dr. BELL's first re-appearance in the Council you have so heavily exercised your discretion in her favour by admitting her question without requiring the prescribed period of notice. However, as Dr. BELL lives in Kowloon, or claims that she does, (Laughter) I am willing to support the exercise of that discretion. I am sure that Mr. Hu will do much useful work. As for the new Appointed col- leagues, they have all won their spurs in public service in Hong Kong, so we think their appointment will certainly foster the public interest
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