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MR. SALES: In the interval, Sir, could you suggest to the Chief Manager of the Railway that, in the future, no such advertisements should be accepted without the relevant committee being consulted as to location and content, so that it would be unnecessary for us to exercise our powers after the signboards have been put up?
CHAIRMAN: I will put your point to the General Manager.
(5) DR. P. F. Woo asked the following question:
To facilitate matters and for the convenience of members, would the Chairman request Government to print special letter-paper and envelopes for each Ward and to treat any correspondence therefrom as official with postage free?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:
At present, all ward offices are supplied with Urban Council stationery and any letter written by a Councillor in the office is posted by the ward clerk through the official post.
I understand that many Members spend their time in the ward office taking particulars of complaints or inquiries from members of the public, and return to their private office to dictate replies. These replies have then to be posted to the addressees or to the ward offices for despatch. In either case the Councillor has to pay postage, and I believe that one of the reasons for asking this question is to obtain approval for free postal facilities for letters sent from Members' private offices on ward matters. This question has been referred to the Colonial Secretary and a reply is awaited. I must, however, point out that the matter is more complicated than at first appears. Apart from other considerations, Post Office Regulations refer to letters "from a department" and consideration will have to be given to whether an amendment of law is required. But as far as I can see, there would be no objection to Members making use of the department's messenger service. Messengers call frequently at Members' offices: they could collect mail connected with ward affairs which could then be despatched from the head office of the department instead of from the ward office.
MR. SALES interrupted at this point:-Sir, is your reply not misleading? Because I have received correspondence from Mr. CHEONG-LEEN in "On Her Majesty's Service" envelopes without postage, and I have sent correspondence to you without postage. I should like this privilege which my ward enjoys to be extended to the other nine wards.
CHAIRMAN continued:-Do you mind if I finish my answer?
As for printing special letter-paper and envelopes, I do not think that a request to have special stationery printed for each ward could be justified, but the general question of changes in the stationery at present in use in ward offices is being looked into.
(6) MR. B. A. BERNACCHI asked the following question:
Members have been notified that the Chief Justice has set up a Working Party consisting of 2 magistrates, 1 district judge and the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Kowloon, the terms of reference being to inquire into and consider the manner wherein persons charged with offences arising from hawking, obstruction of the highway or similar matters are dealt with by the Summary Courts of this Colony and to make recommendations as to whether any changes are necessary or desirable. These terms of reference appear to be most general and I would inquire:-
(a) What is the probable scope of the Working Party Inquiry?
(b) Are the recommendations likely to impinge on the policy-making function of this Council or confined to recommendations as to the manner in which such cases are heard in the Summary Courts?
(c) Has any invitation been given to this Council to appoint a member to sit upon this Working Party especially in view of the fact that a member of the Executive namely the Police Force i.e. the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Kowloon is a member?
(d) Is the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Kowloon a voting member of the Working Party or appointed only to give the Working Party assistance?
(e) Generally can the Chairman give this Council an assurance that the terms of reference of this Working Party will not infringe upon this Council's statutory and exclusive duties under the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:
(1) As I understand it, the scope of the Working Party's inquiry is the manner in which persons charged with
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MR. SALES: In the interval, Sir, could you suggest to the Chief Manager of the Railway that, in the future, no such advertisements should be accepted without the relevant committee being consulted as to location and content, so that it would be unnecessary for us to exercise our powers after the signboards have been put up?
CHAIRMAN: I will put your point to the General Manager.
(5) DR. P. F. Woo asked the following question :·
To facilitate matters and for the convenience of members, would the Chairman request Government to print special letter-paper and envelopes for each Ward and to treat any correspondence therefrom as official with postage free?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:
At present, all ward offices are supplied with Urban Council stationery and any letter written by a Councillor in the office is posted by the ward clerk through the official post.
I understand that many Members spend their time in the ward office taking particulars of complaints or inquiries from members of the public, and return to their private office to dictate replies. These replies have then to be posted to the addressees or to the ward offices for despatch. In either case the Councillor has to pay postage, and I believe that one of the reasons for asking this question is to obtain approval for free postal facilities for letters sent from Members' private offices on ward matters. This question has been referred to the Colonial Secretary and a reply is awaited. I must, however, point out that the matter is more complicated than at first appears. Apart from other considerations, Post Office Regulations refer to letters "from a department" and consideration will have to be given to whether an amendment of law is required. But as far as I can see, there would be no objection to Members making use of the department's messenger service. Messengers call frequently at Members' offices: they could collect mail connected with ward affairs which could then be despatched from the head office of the department instead of from the ward office.
MR. SALES interrupted at this point:-Sir, is your reply not mis- leading? Because I have received correspondence from Mr. CHEONG- LEEN in "On Her Majesty's Service" envelopes without postage, and I
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
413
have sent correspondence to you without postage. I should like this privilege which my ward enjoys to be extended to the other nine wards. CHAIRMAN continued:-Do you mind if I finish my answer?
As for printing special letter-paper and envelopes, I do not think that a request to have special stationery printed for each ward could be justified, but the general question of changes in the stationery at present in use in ward offices is being looked into.
(6) MR. B. A. BERNACCHI asked the following question:·
Members have been notified that the Chief Justice has set up a Working Party consisting of 2 magistrates, 1 district judge and the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Kowloon, the terms of reference being to inquire into and consider the manner wherein persons charged with offences arising from hawking, obstruction of the highway or similar mat- ters are dealt with by the Summary Courts of this Colony and to make recommendations as to whether any changes are necessary or desirable. These terms of reference appear to be most general and I would inquire:-
(a) What is the probable scope of the Working Party
Inquiry?
(b) Are the recommendations likely to impinge on the policy-making function of this Council or confined to recommendations as to the manner in which such cases are heard in the Summary Courts?
(c) Has any invitation been given to this Council to appoint a member to sit upon this Working Party especially in view of the fact that a member of the Executive namely the Police Force i.e. the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Kowloon is a member?
(d) Is the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Kowloon a voting member of the Working Party or appointed only to give the Working Party assistance? (e) Generally can the Chairman give this Council an as- surance that the terms of reference of this Working Party will not infringe upon this Council's statutory and exclusive duties under the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:-
(1) As I understand it, the scope of the Working Party's inquiry is the manner in which persons charged with
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