HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
courses are essential. It is perhaps time that we gave serious consideration to making it compulsory for at least the supervisory staffs of all eating houses to attend a minimum of such courses. There may be some technical difficulties, but surely there are ways of overcoming them wherever they may exist.
Street Cleansing: The trouble with our "Keep Your District Clean" campaigns is that they are effective only as long as they last. This is a sad reflection on the community as a whole.
Our people simply do not have that essential ingredient, the civic pride. This must be instilled into the minds of the young as well as the old and to be successful we must not relent in our efforts to educate the public even if this has to take years. Meanwhile, ways and means must be found to sustain our street cleansing effort.
Restaurant in Resettlement Estates: I have been pressing for the past few years for the provision of more premises for restaurants in our Resettlement Estates, with little success. The rapid increase in unlicensed cooked food stalls there underlines the need for more restaurants. This state of affairs runs counter to our standing policy of gradual elimination of cooked food stalls. I repeated my plea at the last meeting of the Resettlement Policy Select Committee and the reply was that the department would further examine the problem. I urge the department to stop putting off this matter further before this unsatisfactory situation gets worse.
Amenity Planting: Most landlords are only too willing to beautify their property with trees, flowers and shrubs. What deters most of them is the prohibitive price charged for seedlings in the market and lack of knowledge on the care of plants and trees. Government should step in and provide not only seedlings at a fair price but also such advice as the public may need in this connexion. I suggest that these facilities should be offered and made known to the public. It is possible that from the sales of seedlings Government will be able to realize a certain profit which could be applied towards expanding the amenity planting programme or similar projects. This is not intended to hurt the dealers but rather as a means to bring down their prohibitive prices to a more realistic level.
Hong Kong Government Stadium: The need for covers for the stands on the east and south sides of this stadium has long been felt. Not only do we owe it to the public to provide them with a proper cover, and we can well imagine their plight in times of inclement weather, Government as well as sports clubs would also stand to lose heavily in revenue, if we did not do something to meet this need. There has been talk for years of expansion to the seating capacity of the stadium, but regardless of what decision Government may make on this matter, I think we can safely proceed with the covers, because it should be within the architect's ingenuity to make provisions for such an expansion.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
be within the architect's ingenuity to make provisions for such an expansion.
Vocational Training for Hawkers: I repeatedly advocated adopting measures to enable young and able-bodied hawkers to take up other more productive occupations. It is therefore gratifying to note that this Council will give full support to measures aimed at providing vocational training for them. As we all know, a committee known as Industrial Training Advisory Committee has just been set up by Government. This may provide us with an ideal opportunity to set our plan of guiding hawkers into industry in motion and I urge that we co-ordinate our efforts with this Committee as soon as possible.
Road Repairs: At the Annual Debate in 1963 in this Council I complained about the time taken to complete road repairs. My Honourable friend, Mr. Wright assured me that it was not in the utility Company's or the contractor's own interests to prolong the work and that the delay was due to practical problems. Because of the conditions that exist to-day which I feel are similar to those of 2 years ago, I am compelled to seek a reassurance from the Hon. Director that steps are being taken to require the contractor to complete the works in the shortest time possible.
Flashing Neon Signs: I suggested in the 1962 Debate that subject to certain limitations these signs should be legalized. Argument was advanced against this on the grounds of health. This argument does not seem to be tenable and I would like to quote the statement made by the Medical and Health Department to the Advertisement Select Committee last May as follows:-
"I do not consider that the using of flashing neon signs within Urban areas would have any detrimental effect on health provided that there was no interference with health. Reasonably uninterrupted sleep is a vital necessity of health and well-being, but this objection could be quite easily overcome by prohibiting the use of such signs after a certain time at night, for example 11 p.m."
I hope that the select committee discussing this will recommend their early introduction and that the Council will adopt it in due course.
Sir, I support the Statement of Aims before Council. (Applause).
MR. LI YUI-BOR: --Mr. Chairman, I rise on a point of order. I should like to apologize to Mr. FUNG if I caused any misunderstanding or disrespect. I said I was sandwiched between two speakers, speaking in front of me, and two speakers speaking after me. If a sandwich has two pieces on one side it cannot have sixteen pieces on the other. (Laughter). I meant no disrespect or any reflection on the eloquence of
$82
Page 234 of 382
446
447
$82
Page 234 of 382
446
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
courses are essential. It is perhaps time that we gave serious considera- tion to making it compulsory for at least the supervisory staffs of all eating houses to attend a minimum of such courses. There may be some technical difficulties, but surely there are ways of overcoming them wherever they may exist.
Street Cleansing: The trouble with our "Keep Your District Clean" campaigns is that they are effective only as long as they last. This is a sad reflection on the community as a whole.
Our people simply do not have that essential ingredient, the civic pride. This must be instilled into the minds of the young as well as the old and to be successful we must not relent in our efforts to educate the public even if this has to take years. Meanwhile, ways and means must be found to sustain our street cleansing effort.
Restaurant in Resettlement Estates: I have been pressing for the past few years for the provision of more premises for restaurants in our Resettlement Estates, with little success. The rapid increase in un- licensed cooked food stalls there underlines the need for more restau- rants. This state of affairs runs counter to our standing policy of gradual elimination of cooked food stalls. I repeated my plea at the last meeting of the Resettlement Policy Select Committee and the reply was that the department would further examine the problem. I urge the department to stop putting off this matter further before this unsatisfac- tory situation gets worse.
Amenity Planting: Most landlords are only too willing to beautify their property with trees, flowers and shrubs. What deters most of them
is the prohibitive price charged for seedlings in the market and lack of knowledge on the care of plants and trees. Government should step in and provide not only seedlings at a fair price but also such advice as the public may need in this connexion. I suggest that these facilities should be offered and made known to the public. It is possible that from the sales of seedlings Government will be able to realize a certain profit which could be applied towards expanding the amenity planting programme or similar projects. This is not intended to hurt the dealers but rather as a means to bring down their prohibitive prices to a more realistic level.
Hong Kong Government Stadium: The need for covers for the stands on the east and south sides of this stadium has long been felt. Not only do we owe it to the public to provide them with a proper cover, and we can well imagine their plight in times of inclement weather, Government as well as sports clubs would also stand to lose heavily in revenue, if we did not do something to meet this need. There has been talk for years of expansion to the seating capacity of the stadium, but regardless of what decision Government may make on this matter, I think we can safely proceed with the covers, because it should
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
447
be within the architect's ingenuity to make provisions for such an expansion.
Vocational Training for Hawkers: I repeatedly advocated adopt- ing measures to enable young and able-bodied hawkers to take up other more productive occupations. It is therefore gratifying to note that this Council will give full support to measures aimed at providing voca- tional training for them. As we all know, a committee known as Indus- trial Training Advisory Committee has just been set up by Government. This may provide us with an ideal opportunity to set our plan of guiding hawkers into industry in motion and I urge that we co-ordinate our efforts with this Committee as soon as possible.
Road Repairs: At the Annual Debate in 1963 in this Council I complained about the time taken to complete road repairs. My Honourable friend, Mr. Wright assured me that it was not in the utility Company's or the contractor's own interests to prolong the work and that the delay was due to practical problems. Because of the conditions that exist to-day which I feel are similar to those of 2 years ago, I am compelled to seek a reassurance from the Hon. Director that steps are being taken to require the contractor to complete the works in the shortest time possible.
Flashing Neon Signs: I suggested in the 1962 Debate that subject to certain limitations these signs should be legalized. Argument was advanced against this on the grounds of health. This argument does not seem to be tenable and I would like to quote the statement made by the Medical and Health Department to the Advertisement Select Com- mittee last May as follows:-
"I do not consider that the using of flashing neon signs within Urban areas would have any detrimental effect on health provided that there was no interference with health. Reasonably uninter- rupted sleep is a vital necessity of health and well-being, but this objection could be quite easily overcome by prohibiting the use of such signs after a certain time at night, for example 11 p.m."
I hope that the select committee discussing this will recommend their early introduction and that the Council will adopt it in due course.
Sir, I support the Statement of Aims before Council. (Applause). MR. LI YUI-BOR: --Mr. Chairman, I rise on a point of order. I should like to apologize to Mr. FUNG if I caused any misunderstanding or disrespect. I said I was sandwiched between two speakers, speaking in front of me, and two speakers speaking after me. If a sandwich has two pieces on one side it cannot have sixteen pieces on the other. (Laughter). I meant no disrespect or any reflection on the eloquence of
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