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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCILUnlicensed pedlars should be prosecuted. As any pedlar can get a licence for $20 a year, I cannot see the reason why there are still unlicensed pedlars.
The fixed-pitched hawkers should be given opportunity in the resettlement shops in the same way as the squatters on Crown land are given a white card in Resettlement Estates. Previously I have said that part of the solution to the hawkers' problem lies with the market development. Mr. Chairman, you are well aware of the feelings I have about that neglected institution called the market in Hong Kong.
In accordance with economic theories and in line with the traditional habits of the local people, the market is the most economic institution for the purchase of foodstuffs by the housewives of Hong Kong. This is because of the application of place utility and time utility; the housewives can get the choice of a great variety of foodstuffs at one place, at the best prices, and they are sheltered from sun and rain.
Those who argue that the market should be left to rot and that the purchase of essential foodstuffs should be left to the food shops simply do not take the trouble to study the habits of 90% of the people of Hong Kong.
The basic foodstuffs bought daily by the people of Hong Kong are vegetables, fish, meat, poultry and in this descending order. You will agree that in the last three commodities supervision is most necessary to insure their state of hygiene and I cannot imagine that supervision could be better in twenty separate locations than in one centralized market in each district or sub-district. Then, there are cases of salmonella in poultry and rotten meat. For people who prefer the western type of food they can go to Dairy Lane or a few of their equivalent super markets throughout the Colony. But that group constitutes much less than 10% of the population.
The Members of the Markets Select Committee have visited all the markets in Hong Kong and Kowloon and have recommended the building of two new markets and the rebuilding of three old markets. The two new markets are the North Point Market which the Council has already approved and the extension of the Kowloon City Market which is inadequate for the large area it serves. The three markets to be rebuilt in the next two years are, in order of priority, the Shek Tong Tsui Market built in 1875, the Shaukiwan Market built in 1872 and the Ngau Tau Kok Market. These markets are dilapidated and literally falling to pieces and it is doubtful that they can stand the next big typhoon. In the interest of the housewives of Hong Kong and the man in the street, the Markets Select Committee has drawn up this modest programme for the period 1966/1968.
455
I had anticipated by this time that Dr. Raymond LEE would say something about the Ward System but instead we heard from our senior member Mr. SALES. My own experience for the past few weeks when sitting in the Ward Offices of Mong Kok, Sham Shui Po, Lai Chi Kok and Shek Kip Mei from 2 to 4 hours every week has revealed that although there are some inquiries about hygiene, policy, immigration, legal and labour cases, the overwhelming majority of cases concern resettlement. It becomes obvious that while over half a million people in the squatter areas remain to be resettled, in the next two years or so and many of those in the Resettlement Areas have increased the numbers in their families, and have outgrown their accommodation, the top priority of public services which the Government of Hong Kong must adopt is a massive and immediate programme of resettlement housing. Not only should the extent of resettlement housing be enlarged, but also the speed at which they are being built should be accelerated.
The progress of construction of the resettlement estates is moving at a snail's pace. This is because of the injudicious choice of unsound contractors, who, due to the tightness of credit enforced by nearly all the banks consequent upon the failure of the two banks early in the year, are unable to properly finance the contract, and employ sufficient labour to complete the construction in the appointed time. I urge that either the present Tender Board adopt a realistic attitude, or else the Government give the construction of resettlement estates to the Housing Authority. It is to be remembered that the Director of Public Works is on both Tender Boards, but I feel that the Housing Authority is more appropriate because it has only housing to deal with. Alternatively, as the Housing Authority is faced with the situation that the class of flats they are building for the income group of $400-$900 per month are now in greater supply, and that the rental for them are coming down, they may well consider keeping out of the market of the higher class of flats, and start to build low-cost housing to cater for the needs of the people at the base of the cone of income distribution, i.e. the people comparable to the base of a triangle.
With these remarks, Mr. Chairman, I have much pleasure in endorsing the Statement of Aims for 1966 tabled today. (Applause).
DR. A. M. S. BELL:- Mr. Chairman, some 6 or 7 years ago I made the remark at an Annual Convention debate that in spite of the increasing pressures put upon us we were holding our own with regard to our environmental hygiene, our resettlement housing and our road and traffic conditions, we had not improved much but nor had we deteriorated. Today I am distressed and appalled to have to say that
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Page 238 of 382
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Unlicensed pedlars should be prosecuted. As any pedlar can get a licence for $20 a year, I cannot see the reason why there are still unlicensed pedlars.
The fixed-pitched hawkers should be given opportunity in the resettlement shops in the same way as the squatters on Crown land are given a white card in Resettlement Estates. Previously I have said that part of the solution to the hawkers' problem lies with the market development. Mr. Chairman, you are well aware of the feelings I have about that neglected institution called the market in Hong Kong.
In accordance with economic theories and in line with the tradi- tional habits of the local people, the market is the most economic institution for the purchase of foodstuffs by the housewives of Hong Kong. This is because of the application of place utility and time utility; the housewives can get the choice of a great variety of foodstuffs at one place, at the best prices, and they are sheltered from sun and rain.
Those who argue that the market should be left to rot and that the purchase of essential foodstuffs should be left to the food shops simply do not take the trouble to study the habits of 90% of the People of Hong Kong.
The basic foodstuffs bought daily by the people of Hong Kong are vegetables, fish, meat, poultry and in this descending order. You will agree that in the last three commodities supervision is most necessary to insure their state of hygiene and I cannot imagine that supervision could be better in twenty separate locations than in one centralized market in each district or sub-district. Then, there are cases of salmonella in poultry and rotten meat. For people who prefer the western type of food they can go to Dairy Lane or a few of their equivalent super markets throughout the Colony. But that group constitutes much less than 10% of the population.
The Members of the Markets Select Committee have visited all the markets in Hong Kong and Kowloon and have recommended the building of two new markets and the rebuilding of three old markets. The two new markets are the North Point Market which the Council has already approved and the extension of the Kowloon City Market which is inadequate for the large area it serves. The three markets to be rebuilt in the next two years are, in order of priority, the Shek Tong Tsui Market built in 1875, the Shaukiwan Market built in 1872 and the Ngau Tau Kok Market. These markets are dilapidated and literally falling to pieces and it is doubtful that they can stand the next big typhoon. In the interest of the housewives of Hong Kong and the man in the street, the Markets Select Committee has drawn up this modest programme for the period 1966/1968.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
455
I had anticipated by this time that Dr. Raymond LEE, would say something about the Ward System but instead we heard from our senior member Mr. SALES. My own experience for the past few weeks when sitting in the Ward Offices of Mong Kok, Sham Shui Po, Lai Chi Kok and Shek Kip Mei from 2 to 2 hours every week has revealed that although there are some inquiries about hygiene, policy, immigration, legal and labour cases, the overwhelming majority of cases concern resettlement. It becomes obvious that while over half a million people in the squatter areas remain to be resettled, in the next two years or so and many of those in the Resettlement Areas have in- creased the numbers in their families, and have outgrown their accom- modation, the top priority of public services which the Government of Hong Kong must adopt is a massive and immediate programme of resettlement housing. Not only should the extent of resettlement hous- ing be enlarged, but also the speed at which they are being built should be accelerated.
The progress of construction of the resettlement estates is moving at a snail's pace. This is because of the injudicious choice of unsound contractors, who, due to the tightness of credit enforced by nearly all the banks consequent upon the failure of the two banks early in the year, are unable to properly finance the contract, and employ sufficient labour to complete the construction in the appointed time. I urge that either the present Tender Board adopt a realistic attitude, or else the Government give the construction of resettlement estates to the Housing Authority. It is to be remembered that the Director of Public Works is on both Tender Boards, but I feel that the Housing Authority is more appropriate because it has only housing to deal with. Alter- natively, as the Housing Authority is faced with the situation that the class of flats they are building for the income group of $400-$900 per month are now in greater supply, and that the rental for them are coming down, they may well consider keeping out of the market of the higher class of flats, and start to build low cost housing to cater for the needs of the people at the base of the cone of income distribution, i.e. the people comparable to the base of a triangle.
With these remarks, Mr. Chairman, I have much pleasure in endorsing the Statement of Aims for 1966 tabled today. (Applause).
DR. A. M. S. BELL:-Mr. Chairman, some 6 or 7 years ago I made the remark at an Annual Conventional debate that inspite of the in- creasing pressures put upon us we were holding our own with regard to our environmental hygiene, our resettlement housing and our road and traffic conditions, we had not improved much but nor had we deteriorated. Today I am distressed and appalled to have to say that
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