Page 149 of 259
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
the policy of its future development adopted by the Council three years ago. However, public supports to its various activities, has been most overwhelming and we will soon begin to be faced with the problem of shortage of space, perhaps much earlier than would have been at first anticipated.
The Museum & Art Gallery have arranged in the year more exhibitions and displays of varied interest than ever before. And this year well over a quarter of a million people have visited the Museum & Art Gallery. This is an average of almost 1,000 per day, double the attendance figures for last year. The success in this field however has not been achieved without making a sacrifice on another field owing to its squeeze on the space for permanent Museum display which many would like to see and enjoy.
Insufficient space therefore has been our main urgent problem. Fortunately, Government has signified the possibility of handing over the Rodney Block Building to meet our need when Radio Hong Kong will move to its new building in a year or so. This will indeed be a very timely gift and the Select Committee have therefore, this year, set to work closely with the P.W.D. architect to plan for the conversion of this building into the type of Museum & Art Gallery to meet the need of our future development.
The report and estimates for this project will be completed in the next few weeks and will be submitted to this Council and therefore to the Secretariat for approval.
The Select Committee has also an ambitious plan in hand to expand our Museum's Educational Service in the coming year. It plans to provide Museum & Art Gallery materials in the form of individual items, small selected displays or complete exhibitions to schools and colleges and to provide formal tuition through the Collections and Expertise of the Museum & Art Gallery to visiting classes of school children and also to provide informal tuition in the form of conducted tours. Included in the plan for the conversion of the new Rodney Building will be lecture rooms and other facilities which will enable further extension of this service to hold even more formal lectures and courses on Museum Collections and related subjects.
The Indoor Stadium Complex
It has been 14 years since the need of a Colony Stadium was first expressed in this Council, and a motion was again moved in this Council in 1964, for early construction of this project. We were then inspired and encouraged by H.E. The Governor through his statement at the opening of the Trade Fair, in which he made special reference to the possibility of setting aside land, on which could be erected a building suitable for indoor recreational and exhibition purposes.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
273
The sub-committee set to work and completed a preliminary report of its recommendations. The word, "preliminary" was added because we then felt the need to proceed to study the feasibility of coupling the usage of Trade Fair and Exhibition and of international convention; and here the sub-committee had the benefit of the Curtis' Report and the participation in the discussion of representatives of the Tourist Association and the Commerce and Industry Department, and later the Trade Development Council. The report was completed and passed through the P.R.A. Select Committee and submitted to the Colonial Secretary last September.
It is my sincere hope that an early and favourable decision will be made by Government on this worthwhile project. I am convinced that although at the first glance the capital cost would appear dauntingly high, the return to the community both by direct and indirect income attracted to Hong Kong by the existence of such a complex, would be considerable, the effects on a very wide cross section of the public would be beneficial, and the image and prestige of Hong Kong would be greatly enhanced throughout the Far East and indeed further afield.
Mr. Chairman, the rest of what I am going to say, I shall be using these words very often: viz;
"The Gap, The Bridge and the Tunnel"
To avoid causing our Honourable Director of Public Works any unnecessary alarm, I must make it clear that I am not speaking about the Cross Harbour Tunnel, to bridge the gap between the two sides of our harbour, although I wonder whether it is more than just a mere coincidence that in this case again, it is the type of communication through a hidden tunnel which is favoured as against that over a more glamorous bridge, on which the flow of traffic can be easily visible to any onlooker.
To bridge the gap between the administration and the people is what everyone has been urging Government to do. There is no doubt that its importance cannot be over emphasized. The administration has often been hard hit by critics who in many instances even blamed Government for not making any effort at all. I am inclined to support those critics to such an extent that Government has to make a greater effort in this field. But I feel that in many cases the fault is not entirely due to lack of such an effort, but rather to its failure to make public its effort. Much communication has, in fact, been carried on between the administration and the people through many media. But like communication through tunnels they were not often easily visible to the general public.
Here in Hong Kong, we have something which we can treasure with pride and that is our Freedom of speech and publication, and it
Page 149 of 259
of 259
Page 149 of 259
272
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
the policy of its future development adopted by the Council three years ago. However, public supports to its various activities, has been most overwhelming and we will soon begin to be faced with the problem of shortage of space, perhaps much earlier than would have been at first anticipated.
The Museum & Art Gallery have arranged in the year more exhibi- tions and displays of varied interest than ever before. And this year well over a quarter of a million people have visited the Museum & Art Gallery. This is an average of almost 1,000 per day, double the attendance figures for last year. The success in this field however has not been achieved without making a sacrifice on another field owing to its squeeze on the space for permanent Museum display which many would like to see and enjoy.
Insufficient space therefore has been our main urgent problem. Fortunately, Government has signified the possibility of handing over the Rodney Block Building to meet our need when Radio Hong Kong will move to its new building in a year or so. This will indeed be a very timely gift and the Select Committee have therefore, this year, set to work closely with the P.W.D. architect to plan for the conversion of this building into the type of Museum & Art Gallery to meet the need of our future development.
The report and estimates for this project will be completed in the next few weeks and will be submitted to this Council and therefore to the Secretariat for approval.
The Select Committee has also an ambitious plan in hand to expand our Museum's Educational Service in the coming year. It plans to provide Museum & Art Gallary materials in the form of individual items, small selected displays or complete exhibitions to schools and colleges and to provide formal tuition through the Collections and Expertise of the Museum & Art Gallery to visiting classes of school children and also to provide informal tuition in the form of conducted tours. Included in the plan for the conversion of the new Rodney Building will be lecture rooms and other facilities which will enable further extension of this service to hold even more formal lectures and courses on Museum Collections and related subjects.
The Indoor Stadium Complex
It has been 14 years since the need of a Colony Stadium was first expressed in this Council, and a motion was again moved in this Council in 1964, for early construction of this project. We were then inspired and encouraged by H.E. The Governor through his statement at the opening of the Trade Fair, in which he made special reference to the possibility of setting aside land, on which could be erected a building suitable for indoor recreational and exhibition purposes.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
273
The sub-committee set to work and completed a preliminary report of its recommendations. The word, "preliminary" was added because we then felt the need to proceed to study the feasibility of coupling the usage of Trade Fair and Exhibition and of international convention; and here the sub-committee had the benefit of the Curtis' Report and the participation in the discussion of representatives of the Tourist Association and the Commerce and Industry Department, and later the Trade Development Council. The report was completed and passed through the P.R.A. Select Committee and submitted to the Colonial Secretary last September.
It is my sincere hope that an early and favourable decision will be made by Government on this worthwhile project. I am convinced that although at the first glance the capital cost would appear dauntingly high, the return to the community both by direct and indirect income attracted to Hong Kong by the existence of such a complex, would be considerable, the effects on a very wide cross section of the public would be beneficial, and the image and prestige of Hong Kong would be greatly enhanced throughout the Far East and indeed further afield.
Mr. Chairman, the rest of what I am going to say, I shall be using these words very often: viz;
"The Gap, The Bridge and the Tunnel"
To avoid causing our Honourable Director of Public Works any unnecessary alarm, I must make it clear that I am not speaking about the Cross Harbour Tunnel, to bridge the gap between the two sides of our harbour, although I wonder whether it is more than just a mere coincidence that in this case again, it is the type of communication through a hidden tunnel which is favoured as against that over a more glamourous bridge, on which the flow of traffic can be easily visible to any onlooker.
To bridge the gap between the administration and the people is what everyone has been urging Government to do. There is no doubt that its importance cannot be over emphasized. The administration has often been hard hit by critics who in many instances even blamed Government for not making any effort at all. I am inclined to support those critics to such an extent that Government has to make a greater effort in this field. But I feel that in many cases the fault is not entirely due to lack of such an effort, but rather to its failure to make public its effort. Much communication has, in fact, been carried on between the administration and the people through many media. But like com- munication through tunnels they were not often easily visible to the general public.
Here in Hong Kong, we have something which we can treasure with pride and that is our Freedom of speech and publication, and it
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