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when more goods are coming into the Colony every day and more use is made of our local facilities for the export of Chinese trade. What views others may hold on this subject, it goes to show that the importance and advantage of Hong Kong under the British administration cannot be ignored.
If we are to develop Lantao as a new area we must build not only more roads and highways but also connecting bridges and/or tunnels. I am surprised that this suggestion was not made earlier because Lantao is about twice the size of Hong Kong and has an area of some 50 square miles. If present Hong Kong can accommodate over one million people I don't see why Lantao cannot settle more than double this number.
Hong Kong's greatest value and asset is without doubt her people and its ability to adapt to the changing wind of trade, industry and life. We should use every opportunity to train them so that our labour force can compete with any other in the world. The very fact that we can attract foreign capital to the Colony is ample evidence to show that their skill is valued while other places are short of human labour. We are lucky in that in Hong Kong labour is not in short supply.
If the Kennedy Town incinerator proves successful I am sure we will have gone a long way in solving the problem of refuse disposal, including the nuisance raised by Mr. MARDEN, namely that of pollution and also fouling of the water in the harbour. We are only in the initial stage of the problem and until the incinerators in Lai Chi Kok are completed we cannot at this stage say definitely that the Kowloon refuse is sufficiently under control as not to require other incinerators at the eastern side of the Colony so as not to interfere with the operations of the Kai Tak Airport. We will certainly require 2 more incinerators, one on each side of the harbour to deal with the refuse of the eastern side of the town so that scavenging vehicles will be more satisfactorily deployed without having to drive across the centre of the city each way. There will be savings as well as reductions of nuisances when all refuse is incinerated. The time for the closure of the refuse dump at Gin Drinkers Bay can then be envisaged. When that day comes we will call for celebration, then we can honestly say that the end of the objectionable era is in sight.
Before I close my address, Mr. Chairman, may I say how much we are indebted to the staff of the Urban Services Department for their kindness and the willing assistance they have given to us.
With these remarks, Mr. Chairman, I have much pleasure in supporting the Motion now before Council. (Applause).
(At the suggestion of the Chairman, a brief recess was held at this point).
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
343
MR. WILSON T. S. WANG:-Mr. Chairman, I would like first of all to thank you very much for allowing me to have a few calories of energy before I start to speak. I would like also to remind you that for certain remarks mentioned by my friend on my left, you will not quote the wrong Wong this time. (Laughter).
Mr. Chairman, in the 1964 debate, the main subject of my talk was on the provision of sports and recreational facilities and that was the year when the World Olympiad was held in Tokyo. Now, this is the year of the Asian Games, and I would like to follow Dr. Woo's example to choose my pet subject. Mine is not on health education, but on physical education, that is Sports.
While Hong Kong boasts big progress in many fields, so much so that some of our achievements have been described as miraculous, when we compare this with our progress in the field of sports, in the light of either its popularity or standard, the difference has indeed been very great.
The problems as to how to stimulate greater interest of our youths in sports, how to develop and provide more recreation facilities to give our youth more opportunities of participating in sports, and how to provide more instructors and coaches and to offer more training courses for our youths, are our pressing problems to-day. We should take a more positive approach to all these problems, unless we disagree with what is universally recognized that community sports are of paramount importance to the national fitness effecting good health of our children as well as the general well being of our youth.
It is obvious to everyone that we are still very short of sports grounds and other facilities at present. Here, however, I believe Government is fully aware of this too and is sincere in its effort in pushing up with the planning and construction of a big number of playgrounds and sports facilities. With the figure that has been given by Mr. SALES and with him continually in the chair of the Parks, Recreation and Amenities Select Committee, I too have much confidence that, with the same zeal, and slightly accelerated rate of progress as we have seen in recent years, it is not too unrealistic to say that the day is within sight when we shall have fairly adequate provision of sports grounds and facilities for our youth in Hong Kong.
Provision of amenities alone is but one requirement for the promotion of sports. There are other aspects which are equally important such as an effective organization, stimulation of interests and appropriate coaching. Up to the present moment, nearly all of the latter functions are shouldered by private and voluntary bodies. They have been working with great enthusiasm; and high tribute must be paid to them for their contribution towards sports in Hong Kong. However, their resources are not without limit. Furthermore, while there is a
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
when more goods are coming into the Colony every day and more use is made of our local facilities for the export of Chinese trade. What views others may hold on this subject, it goes to show that the import- ance and advantage of Hong Kong under the British administration cannot be ignored.
If we are to develop Lantao as a new area we must build not only more roads and highways but also connecting bridges and/or tunnels. I am surprised that this suggestion was not made earlier because Lantao is about twice the size of Hong Kong and has an area of some 50 square miles. If present Hong Kong can accommodate over one million people I don't see why Lantao cannot settle more than double this number.
Hong Kong's greatest value and asset is without doubt her people and its ability to adapt to the changing wind of trade, industry and life. We should use every opportunity to train them so that our labour force can compete with any other in the world. The very fact that we can attract foreign capital to the Colony is ample evidence to show that their skill is valued while other places are short of human labour. We are lucky in that in Hong Kong labour is not in short supply.
If the Kennedy Town incinerator proves successful I am sure we will have gone a long way in solving the problem of refuse disposal, including the nuisance raised by Mr. MARDEN, namely that of pollution and also fouling of the water in the harbour. We are only in the initial stage of the problem and until the incinerators in Lai Chi Kok are completed we cannot at this stage say definitely that the Kowloon refuse is sufficiently under control as not to require other incinerators at the eastern side of the Colony so as not to interfere with the operations of the Kai Tak Airport. We will certainly require 2 more incinerators, one on each side of the harbour to deal with the refuse of the eastern side of the town so that scavenging vehicles will be more satisfactorily deployed without having to drive across the centre of the city each way. There will be savings as well as reductions of nuisances when all refuse is incinerated. The time for the closure of the refuse dump at Gin Drinkers Bay can then be envisaged. When that day comes we will call for celebration, then we can honestly say that the end of the objec- tionable era is in sight.
Before I close my address, Mr. Chairman, may I say how much we are indebted to the staff of the Urban Services Department for their kindness and the willing assistance they have given to us.
With these remarks, Mr. Chairman, I have much pleasure in sup- porting the Motion now before Council. (Applause).
(At the suggestion of the Chairman, a brief recess was held at this point).
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
343
MR. WILSON T. S. WANG:-Mr. Chairman, I would like first of all to thank you very much for allowing me to have a few calories of energy before I start to speak. I would like also to remind you that for certain remarks mentioned by my friend on my left, you will not quote the wrong Wong this time. (Laughter).
Mr. Chairman, in the 1964 debate, the main subject of my talk was on the provision of sports and recreational facilities and that was the year when the World Olympiad was held in Tokyo. Now, this is the year of the Asian Games, and I would like to follow Dr. Woo's example to choose my pet subject. Mine is not on health education, but on physical education, that is Sports.
While Hong Kong boasts big progress in many fields, so much so that some of our achievements have been described as miraculous, when we compare this with our progress in the field of sports, in the light of either its popularity or standard, the difference has indeed been very great.
The problems as to how to stimulate greater interest of our youths in sports, how to develop and provide more recreation facilities to give our youth more opportunities of participating in sports, and how to provide more instructors and coaches and to offer more training courses for our youths, are our pressing problems to-day. We should take a more positive approach to all these problems, unless we disagree with what is universally recognized that community sports are of paramount importance to the national fitness effecting good health of our children as well as the general well being of our youth.
It is obvious to everyone that we are still very short of sports grounds and other facilities at present. Here, however, I believe Government is fully aware of this too and is sincere in its effort in pushing up with the planning and construction of a big number of playgrounds and sports facilities. With the figure that has been given by Mr. SALES and with him continually in the chair of the Parks, Recrea- tion and Amenities Select Committee, I too have much confidence that, with the same zeal, and slightly accelerated rate of progress as we have seen in recent years, it is not too unrealistic to say that the day is within sight when we shall have fairly adequate provision of sports grounds and facilities for our youth in Hong Kong.
Provision of amenities alone is but one requirement for the pro- motion of sports. There are other aspects which are equally important such as an effective organization, stimulation of interests and appro- priate coaching. Up to the present moment, nearly all of the latter functions are shouldered by private and voluntary bodies. They have been working with great enthusiasm; and high tribute must be paid to them for their contribution towards sports in Hong Kong. However, their resources are not without limit. Furthermore, while there is a
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