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give the true sense and meaning as a whole and the other is a word-by-word translation. It seems that Government has made use of the latter system which of course will give rise to no mistake, but if the document is for the public, they will find it difficult to understand. This is often seen in the case of Government notices and regulations. Many Chinese electors for the Urban Council Election were afraid to return the Form 3 sent to all registered electors inquiring if they wish to be registered. The two declarations are translated into Chinese in such a way that because of fear, only half of those on the old register have returned the forms. Another example is the Chinese version given in the traffic summonses. Many non-English-speaking Chinese, as they cannot understand it, just plead guilty by letter to avoid further trouble from the Traffic Department. Mr. Chairman, is this British justice? Government should appoint a special committee to examine the translation system carefully and adopt the one that will enable the general public to fully understand government notices and regulations instead of allowing the official translators to do it in whatever way they like.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to conclude by expressing my appreciation of the good work done by our Secretary, Mr. TINSON, and Deputy Secretary, Mr. TIBBLES, particularly on my part, for the extra work that I have given them.
Mr. Chairman, I have much pleasure in seconding the motion before the Council. (Applause)
MR. J. L. MARDEN:- Mr. Chairman, having recently spoken on the "Ad Hoc Committee's" report on the expansion of the Urban Council into the Greater Hong Kong Council, the excuse for talking on subjects unconnected with the Urban Council seems to have been removed. To make the matter worse we received a paper from our Secretary urging us to have our speeches in so early that my particular muse was caught napping. However, the correspondence columns of the daily newspapers have helped.
"Old Resident" could well have been the chairman of both the Environmental Hygiene and Estimates Committees, and last Sunday an even older resident has also written on the same subject. They outlined the difficulties facing the Urban Council in removing the accumulated rubbish that can only be dealt with by employing more people and more highly specialized equipment. In spite of the answer just given by the Chairman, the rate of increase in "lapsap" is such that it is highly unlikely that until satisfactory sites for incinerators are found in the eastern parts of Kowloon and Hong Kong—and smokeless ones—that the Gin Drinkers Bay dump will ever be closed, and it is likely that therefore there will still be long hauls for vehicles. The campaigns put on by the local Kaifongs in conjunction with the Urban Council, to keep the city clean are a beginning, but in the end education and more staff and vehicles are the only long-term answer. Again as more "Urban Pleasure Grounds" are put into use by Sonny Sales, more maintenance is needed to keep Hong Kong spick and span, and reduce the letters of complaint which are often seen in the correspondence column.
"Tired Parent” wrote of the daily problem of cars overloaded with children being delivered and fetched from schools. There are numerous cases brought before the courts where unfortunately it is not only the parents but "pak pais" who are at fault. At some time or another, an accident will happen and it will be too late for anything except recrimination. Isn't it time that a school bus service was instituted? If not, then a more liberal interpretation of the seating capacity in cars should be authorized. Up to six years old each child counts as half and between six and twelve three children for two seats.
Last year I mentioned that the Lai Chi Kok bathing beach was a danger to health because of the foul state of the water there. I am glad to hear that something is being done. When I was in London recently my daughter, knowing of my interest in the subject, told me that she had written letters from the firm she worked for "about an order for gears" in the Lai Chi Kok sewer. I hope that this might be for a sewage farm and not just as a sewer, as it would make all the difference to bathers there and ultimately at all the beaches in Hong Kong.
Recently, I received an invitation to attend a conference in New York on "Pollution". Unfortunately, I cannot attend but the headings of the talks to be given make interesting reading, and I have already written to ask for a report of the meeting. Under the overall heading of "The Problem and its Setting" are the following titles—"Businessmen and Conservation", "A Scientist views Pollution", "A Lawyer views Pollution" and "Business Looks at the Problem". Other speakers are from steel firms, utilities and chemical giants. All these people will raise aspects on Air and Water Pollution which will apply equally to Hong Kong. Now is the time to do something and to bear in mind that regard should always be given to progress. While due weight should be given to the nuisance angle any regulation should not inhibit the commercial development of the Colony on which our very lives depend.
Coming early on in the batting order one must necessarily mention subjects which will be talked on by other speakers deliberately or not. This is deliberate but it is in support of Dr. Alison BELL. Earlier this year she asked a question about motorized sampans at Hebe Haven. I received a copy of the reply which stated that the regulations for carrying passengers in petrol-driven craft were unlikely to be altered. How are the people in Hebe Haven going to get to the beaches—some form of licensing must be devised by the authorities so that Benthamism can
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give the true sense and meaning as a whole and the other is a word-by- word translation. It seems that Government has made use of the latter system which of course will give rise to no mistake, but if the document is for the public, they will find it difficult to understand. This is often seen in the case of Government notices and regulations. Many Chinese electors for the Urban Council Election were afraid to return the Form 3 sent to all registered electors inquiring if they wish to be registered. The two declarations are translated into Chinese in such a way that because of fear, only half of those on the old register have returned the forms. Another example is the Chinese version given in the traffic summonses. Many non-English-speaking Chinese, as they cannot understand it, just plead guilty by letter to avoid further trouble from the Traffic Department. Mr. Chairman, is this British justice? Govern- ment should appoint a special committee to examine the translation system carefully and adopt the one that will enable the general public to fully understand government notices and regulations instead of allow- ing the official translators to do it in whatever way they like.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to conclude by expressing my apprecia- tion of the good work done by our Secretary, Mr. TINSON, and Deputy Secretary, Mr. TIBBLES, particularly on my part, for the extra work that I have given them.
Mr. Chairman, I have much pleasure in seconding the motion before the Council. (Applause),
MR. J. L. MARDEN:-Mr. Chairman, having recently spoken on the "Ad Hoc Committee's" report on the expansion of the Urban Council into the Greater Hong Kong Council, the excuse for talking on subjects unconnected with the Urban Council seems to have been removed. To make the matter worse we received a paper from our Secretary urging us to have our speeches in so early that my particular muse was caught napping. However, the correspondence columns of the daily newspapers have helped.
"Old Resident" could well have been the chairman of both the Environmental Hygiene and Estimates Committees, and last Sunday an even older resident has also written on the same subject. They outlined the difficulties facing the Urban Council in removing the accumulated rubbish that can only be dealt with by employing more people and more highly specialized equipment. In spite of the answer just given by the Chairman, the rate of increase in "lapsap" is such that it is highly unlikely that until satisfactory sites for incinerators are found in the eastern parts of Kowloon and Hong Kong-and smokeless ones--that the Gin Drinkers Bay dump will ever be closed, and it is likely that therefore there will still be long hauls for vehicles. The campaigns put on by the local Kaifongs in conjunction with the
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
329
Urban Council, to keep the city clean are a beginning, but in the end education and more staff and vehicles are the only long term answer. Again as more "Urban Pleasure Grounds" are put into use by Sonny Sales, more maintenance is needed to keep Hong Kong spick and span, and reduce the letters of complaint which are often seen in the corre- spondence column.
"Tired Parent” wrote of the daily problem of cars overloaded with children being delivered and fetched from schools. There are numer- ous cases brought before the courts where unfortunately it is not only the parents but "pak pais" who are at fault. At some time or another, an accident will happen and it will be too late for anything except recrimination. Isn't it time that a school bus service was instituted? If not, then a more liberal interpretation of the seating capacity in cars should be authorized. Up to six years old each child counts as half and between six and twelve three children for two seats.
Last year I mentioned that the Lai Chi Kok bathing beach was a danger to health because of the foul state of the water there. I am glad to hear that something is being done. When I was in London recently my daughter, knowing of my interest in the subject, told me that she had written letters from the firm she worked for "about an order for gears" in the Lai Chi Kok sewer. I hope that this might be for a sewage farm and not just as a sewer, as it would make all the difference to bathers there and ultimately at all the beaches in Hong Kong.
Recently, I received an invitation to attend a conference in New York on "Pollution". Unfortunately, I cannot attend but the headings of the talks to be given make interesting reading, and I have already written to ask for a report of the meeting. Under the overall heading of "The Problem and its Setting" are the following titles-"Businessmen and Conservation", "A Scientist views Pollution", "A Lawyer views Pollution" and "Business Looks at the Problem". Other speakers are from steel firms, utilities and chemical giants. All these people will raise aspects on Air and Water Pollution which will apply equally to Hong Kong. Now is the time to do something and to bear in mind that regard should always be given to progress. While due weight should be given to the nuisance angle any regulation should not inhibit the commercial development of the Colony on which our very lives depend.
Coming early on in the batting order one must necessarily mention subjects which will be talked on by other speakers deliberately or not. This is deliberate but it is in support of Dr. Alison BELL. Earlier this year she asked a question about motorized sampans at Hebe Haven. I received a copy of the reply which stated that the regulations for carrying passengers in petrol driven craft were unlikely to be altered. How are the people in Hebe Haven going to get to the beaches--some form of licensing must be devised by the authorities so that Benthamism can
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