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(b) If so, what is being done for families that have lived in the area for as long as twenty or even forty years, but are not eligible for business resettlement upon which their livelihood depends?
THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows:
In general the same policy is being followed for the resettlement of residents in the Yau Ma Tei clearance area as for normal clearances of squatters on Crown Land. Shops or workshops that were too small to qualify for estate accommodation and other businesses not eligible for resettlement have been offered shops in resite areas.
In the case of the three clinics, which have been long established in the area, the rules were relaxed and they have been allocated estate shops.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, may I ask the Commissioner if the Yau Ma Tei clearance comes within the jurisdiction of this Council?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-That is a difficult question to answer. It is a clearance—it is a very special type of clearance—it doesn't follow the ordinary rule, there are some exceptions as Mrs. ELLIOTT is aware, but if you have any specific cases to bring forward by way of appeal—you have been in correspondence with me over a number of cases if there are any specific cases that you feel should be appealed about, I think that they could be considered by the Policy Select Committee.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, I am very grateful for that reply because there are some points in which it seems to be unfair to treat them as squatters on crown land—may I ask that this question of Yau Ma Tei be referred to the Standing Policy Committee?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-Yes.
(3) MR. HENRY H. L. Hu asked the following question:
Is the Chairman aware that there has always been a considerable amount of rubbish dumped along the Ngan Hon Street in To Kwa Wan area? Could any measures be taken to minimize such nuisance?
THE CHAIRMAN, URBAN COUNCIL replied as follows:
On one side of Ngan Hon Street there is a row of tenement houses. The road surface on this half of the street is paved with macadam. The other half of the street is unpaved, with an earth, sand and grit surface. Lying alongside the unpaved half of the street is undeveloped land on which stand large brick and stone buildings at present occupied by a hide factory and by the Dairy Farm's Cold Storage depot. I have been informed that these stone buildings will be vacated by the two companies in the latter part of this year. The buildings will then be demolished prior to redevelopment. The street itself is a narrow one, about 20 ft. wide, and is usually filled with parked cars. When inspections were made of the area on the 23rd and 25th February, a bulldozer and a miscellany of builders' materials, including a number of wooden planks, cables, bricks, iron cross-bars and wooden signs were noted. The general impression was one of unsightliness. On the paved side of the street the drainage channel and pavement were slightly littered at noon, but not more so than any side street at a similar time.
From the foregoing, I take it that you are referring, Sir, to the condition of the unpaved half of the street. People are inclined, unfortunately, to take the unpaved part of any street as vacant land and tend to leave unwanted articles there. Ngan Hon Street was no exception. After receipt of your complaint a special clean-up of the street was made. The day and night cleansing staff have been instructed to keep the area under observation for any illegal dumping of rubbish or rubble, and to remove immediately any dumped junk or other articles found there.
MR. HU:-Mr. Chairman, thank you for your answer. As a matter of fact, what I referred to is the section of the unpaved part of the street.
DR. BELL:-Mr. Chairman, why is one half of the street unpaved?
CHAIRMAN:-Dr. BELL, first that is a new question, and secondly I don't know. (Laughter).
DR. BELL:-Could I frame it a little differently? Would it be possible for you to find out why half of the street is unpaved and perhaps arrange to have it properly paved?
CHAIRMAN:-No, Dr. BELL. The paving of streets does not lie within my jurisdiction.
DR. BELL:-Mr. Chairman, I am sorry, but does it not perhaps lie within your jurisdiction in that, if a street is broken in any way,
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(b) If so, what is being done for families that have lived in the area for as long as twenty or even forty years, but are not eligible for business resettlement upon which their livelihood depends?
THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows:
In general the same policy is being followed for the resettle- ment of residents in the Yau Ma Tei clearance area as for normal clearances of squatters on Crown Land. Shops or workshops that were too small to qualify for estate accommodation and other businesses not eligible for resettlement have been offered shops in resite areas.
In the case of the three clinics, which have been long establish- ed in the area, the rules were relaxed and they have been allocated estate shops.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, may I ask the Commissioner if the Yau Ma Tei clearance comes within the jurisdiction of this Council?
COMMISSIONER for ResettleMENT:-That is a difficult question to answer. It is a clearance-it is a very special type of clearance-it doesn't follow the ordinary rule, there are some exceptions as Mrs. ELLIOTT is aware, but if you have any specific cases to bring forward by way of appeal-you have been in correspondence with me over a number of cases if there are any specific cases that you feel should be appealed about, I think that they could be considered by the Policy Select Committee.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, I am very grateful for that reply because there are some points in which it seems to be unfair to treat them as squatters on crown land—may I ask that this question of Yau Ma Tei be referred to the Standing Policy Committee?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT: --Yes.
(3) MR. HENRY H. L. Hu asked the following question:
Is the Chairman aware that there has always been a con- siderable amount of rubbish dumped along the Ngan Hon Street in To Kwa Wan area? Could any measures be taken to minimize such nuisance?
THE CHAIRMAN, URBAN COUNCIL replied as follows:
On one side of Ngan Hon Street there is a row of tenement houses. The road surface on this half of the street is paved with macadam. The other half of the street is
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unpaved, with an earth, sand and grit surface. Lying alongside the unpaved half of the street is undeveloped land on which stand large brick and stone buildings at present occupied by a hide factory and by the Dairy Farm's Cold Storage depot. I have been informed that these stone buildings will be vacated by the two com- panies in the latter part of this year. The buildings will then be demolished prior to redevelopment. The street itself is a narrow one, about 20 ft. wide, and is usually filled with parked cars. When inspections were made of the area on the 23rd and 25th February, a bulldozer and a miscellany of builders' materials, including a number of wooden planks, cables, bricks, iron cross-bars and wooden signs were noted. The general impression was one of unsightliness. On the paved side of the street the drainage channel and pavement were slightly littered at noon, but not more so than any side street at a similar time.
From the foregoing, I take it that you are referring, Sir, to the condition of the unpaved half of the street. People are inclined, unfortunately, to take the unpaved part of any street as vacant land and tend to leave unwanted articles there. Ngan Hon Street was no exception. After receipt of your complaint a special clean-up of the street was made. The day and night cleansing staff have been instructed to keep the area under observation for any illegal dumping of rubbish or rubble, and to remove immediately any dumped junk or other articles found there.
MR. HU-Mr. Chairman, thank you for your answer. As a matter of fact, what I referred to is the section of the unpaved part of the street.
DR. BELL:-Mr. Chairman, why is one half of the street unpaved?
CHAIRMAN:-Dr. BELL, first that is a new question, and secondly I don't know. (Laughter).
DR. BELL:-Could I frame it a little differently? Would it be possible for you to find out why half of the street is unpaved and per- haps arrange to have it properly paved?
CHAIRMAN:--No, Dr. BELL. The paving of streets does not lie within my jurisdiction.
DR. BELL:-Mr. Chairman, I am sorry, but does it not perhaps lie within your jurisdiction in that, if a street is broken in any way,
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