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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Senior Inspectors and 95 Assistant Superintendents. Thus to become an Assistant Superintendent in the case of an Inspector in the Urban Services Department is 1 to 50, but in the Police Force 1 to 9. Similar-ly, in your Department there is only one Superintendent, whereas in the Police there are posts of not only Superintendents but also Assistant Commissioner. Since in other departments, such as the Fire Depart-ment, the inspectorate follows the pattern of the Police Department, I fail to see why the Urban Services Department should not do the same. Being extremely concerned about the public health of the Colony, I feel we cannot afford any deterioration in the work of our inspectorate especially as our population is still growing at a rapid rate.
If the pre-sent condition is not rectified, Mr. Chairman, I am afraid the depression in morale may result in procrastination in the execution of duty and may also lead to malpractices which will be detrimental to the Colony. It is therefore your duty, Sir, to see to it that your staff will receive a fair deal. With these remarks, Sir, I have much pleasure in supporting the motion before Council. (Applause).
MR. WILFRED WONG: Mr. Chairman, if Mr. LI Yiu-bor had not clarified his statement, I was going to join Mr. FUNG in thanking Mr. Li for his frankness in implying that all those who spoke after Mr. BERNACCHI are ineloquent. (Laughter). I would agree with him only insofar as I am concerned. (Laughter).
Mr. Chairman, this is the 6th occasion at which I have had the opportunity of reviewing the work of the Urban Council in relation to its Statement of Aims.
The volume of literary output is still increasing. The number of pages of the Hansard during the last few years are as follows: 1960-215; 1961-203; 1962-283; 1963-371; 1964-595. One can well imagine the heavy correspondence load of the Secretariat dealing with all this and the work that it implies. Last year, my friend Mr. SALES said that the increase in the number of pages was partly due to the increasing tendency on the part of the Official Members to speak; if this tendency continues, coupled with the increasing scope and duties of the Council, the Hansard for this Council year will probably reach a thousand pages.
The prolificness of the Council Members not only represents a quantitative achievement but is a reflection of the continued enthusiasm and time which the Members have put on the various functions of the Council through their respective Select Committees. If I had anything to say, I would recommend that anyone who has served on the Council for seven years or more be recognized with an Honorary Doctorate of Sociology or Social Work. (Laughter).
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
451
In previous years, I have confined my speech to matters within the scope of the Council as defined by Section 54 of the Urban Council Ordinance, and also within the scope of the Select Committees on which I have served. This year, I would like to transcend these barriers by making a few remarks on urban amenities. Firstly, I would particularly like to refer to bathing beaches on Hong Kong Island.
The Ad Hoc Committee on beaches in the New Territories worked diligently and admirably as shown by their report on those beaches. A report by the Health Office dealt with the pollution of bathing beaches on Hong Kong Island. My remarks will be confined to the rocks on the beaches which I have combed, located on the southern side of the Island. Deep Water Bay is the best and there are very few rocks which can be considered as dangerous to the public. The worst beach is Repulse Bay, and then South Bay, and Middle Bay in that descending order.
On a hot Sunday afternoon at Repulse Bay beach last June, 80 persons were counted in a queue lining up to be treated by the First Aid Station there. The Waikiki of Hong Kong, as it used to be known, is now a dangerous beach to frequent, although it is still the most popular beach, having had at one time as many as 7,000 bathers by head count.
There is no doubt that Repulse Bay lost tons of sand during and after the war. It was also heavily damaged by typhoon Mary. While the long term solution would be the re-sanding of the beach which would cost in the neighbourhood of HK$150,000.00, the short range solution is quite simple and this view is shared by a dozen or so fellow beach-combers, who have frequented that beach for the last 17 years: it is to mobilize a sufficient labour force to pick the stones during low tide. This process should be repeated every two or three days. The beach combers of Repulse Bay do not subscribe to the theory that the picking up stones will make the beach lose more sand as the surf action not only takes but it also gives, especially with regards to beaches facing south where the wave action is gentle and rotating.
I sincerely hope that the Urban Services Department will arrange a suitable labour force when the swimming season opens in March 1966, and will not leave the beach to a few beach attendants who are also life savers. I need not remind you of the fact that swimming stands first amongst all the popular sports, as proved by a survey which showed 40,000 people participating during one week-end.
Secondly, may I also say a few words about the proposed golf course of Hong Kong before the Urban Amenities Select Committee goes further on that subject. Hong Kong has a great many urban amenities and many other services which the Government has to...
Page 236 of 382
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Page 237 of 382
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1882
Page 236 of 382
450
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Senior Inspectors and 95 Assistant Superintendents. Thus to become an Assistant Superintendent in the case of an Inspector in the Urban Services Department is 1 to 50, but in the Police Force 1 to 9. Similar- ly, in your Department there is only one Superintendent, whereas in the Police there are posts of not only Superintendents but also Assistant Commissioner. Since in other departments, such as the Fire Depart- ment, the inspectorate follows the pattern of the Police Department, I fail to see why the Urban Services Department should not do the same. Being extremely concerned about the public health of the Colony, I feel we cannot afford any deterioration in the work of our inspectorate especially as our population is still growing at a rapid rate.
If the pre- sent condition is not rectified, Mr. Chairman, I am afraid the depression in morale may result in procrastination in the execution of duty and may also lead to malpractices whch will be detrimental to the Colony. It is therefore your duty, Sir, to see to it that your staff will receive a fair deal. With these remarks, Sir, I have much pleasure in supporting the motion before Council. (Applause).
MR. WILFRED WONG: Mr. Chairman, if Mr. LI Yiu-bor had not clarified his statement, I was going to join Mr. FUNG in thanking Mr. Li for his frankness in implying that all those who spoke after Mr. BERNACCHI are ineloquent. (Laughter). I would agree with him only insofar as I am concerned. (Laughter).
Mr. Chairman, this is the 6th occasion at which I have had the opportunity of reviewing the work of the Urban Council in relation to its Statement of Aims.
The volume of literary output is still increasing. The number of pages of the Hansard during the last few years are as follows: 1960-215; 1961-203; 1962-283; 1963-371; 1964-595. One can well imagine the heavy correspondence load of the Secretariat dealing with all this and the work that it implies. Last year, my friend Mr. SALES said that the increase in the number of pages was partly due to the increasing tendency on the part of the Official Members to speak; if this tendency continues, coupled with the increasing scope and duties of the Council, the Hansard for this Council year will probably reach a thousand pages.
The prolificness of the Council Members not only represents a quantitative achievement but is a reflection of the continued enthusiasm and time which the Members have put on the various functions of the Council through their respective Select Committees. If I had anything to say, I would recommend that anyone who has served on the Council for seven years or more be recognized with an Honorary Doctorate of Sociology or Social Work. (Laughter).
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
451
In previous years, I have confined my speech to matters within the scope of the Council as defined by Section 54 of the Urban Council Ordinance, and also within the scope of the Select Committees on which I have served. This year, I would like to transcend these barriers by making a few remarks on urban amenities. Firstly, I would particularly like to refer to bathing beaches on Hong Kong Island.
The Ad Hoc Committee on beaches in the New Territories worked diligently and admirably as shown by their report on those beaches. A report by the Health Office dealt with the pollution of bathing beaches on Hong Kong Island. My remarks will be confined to the rocks on the beaches which I have combed, located on the southern side of the Island. Deep Water Bay is the best and there are very few rocks which can be considered as dangerous to the public. The worst beach is Repulse Bay, and then South Bay, and Middle Bay in that descending order.
On a hot Sunday afternoon at Repulse Bay beach last June, 80 persons were counted in a queue lining up to be treated by the First Aid Station there. The Waikiki of Hong Kong, as it used to be known, is now a dangerous beach to frequent, although it is still the most popular beach, having had at one time as many as 7,000 bathers by head count.
There is no doubt that Repulse Bay lost tons of sand during and after the war. It was also heavily damaged by typhoon Mary. While the long term solution would be the re-sanding of the beach which would cost in the neighbourhood of HK$150,000.00, the short range solution is quite simple and this view is shared by a dozen or so fellow beach-combers, who have frequented that beach for the last 17 years: it is to mobilize a sufficient labour force to pick the stones during low tide. This process should be repeated every two or three days. The beach combers of Repulse Bay do not subscribe to the theory the picking up stones will make the beach lose more sand as the surf action not only takes but it also gives, especially with regards to beaches facing south where the wave action is gentle and rotating.
I sincerely hope that the Urban Services Department will arrange a suitable labour force when the swimming season opens in March 1966, and will not leave the beach to a few beach attendants who are also life savers. I need not remind you of the fact that swimming stands first amongst all the popular sports, as proved by a survey which showed 40,000 people participating during one week-end.
Secondly, may I also say a few words about the proposed golf course of Hong Kong before the Urban Amenities Select Committee goes further on that subject. Hong Kong has great many urban amenities and many other services which the Government has to
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