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not in the delegation which this Council sent to the Town Planning Board and I was unaware of the final deliberations as to what was coming, but I do hope that the general theme of the very large open space would come into effect in giving Kowloon a park, at least 50% larger than the Botanic Gardens in Hong Kong.
With these remarks, Sir, speaking from the cross benches, I will neither vote for nor against the motion.
MR. CHEUNG WING-IN: As a very keen member of the Parks, Recreation & Amenities Select Committee I speak in support of the motion. As a Council, we are making good progress in providing recreation facilities in new developing areas but, for lack of space, we have been unable to provide suitable facilities in the crowded districts. As many of our young people and children cannot conveniently go to other areas for their recreation, it must be Government's policy to bring these facilities to them. Whitfield Barracks, in the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui, provides much needed ground for recreation, and if the site is well laid out with a fountain and a rest garden, it will be an added attraction to tourists, many of whom do not see our beautiful countryside.
Together with my colleagues on this Council, I urge that Government reserve the whole of Whitfield Barracks as open space.
MR. H. H. L. HU: Mr. Chairman, I simply cannot keep my mouth shut (Laughter) because I promised Mr. SALES I would speak, and because this is the only opportunity that I have to support the idea put forward by Mr. SALES. Speaking seriously, if we get Whitfield Barracks, it will not be without any price. We, the Hong Kong people, have already paid the price for getting Whitfield Barracks. The British Government gave Whitfield Barracks back to us because we contribute about £5,000,000 to military expenses each year. Therefore, the British Government released this land to us. If I am wrong I will probably be corrected, but this is what I understand. So that the people of Hong Kong, rich or poor, have already paid for the land, and it is high time that Government gave this piece of land to the public good of the community. Also, on the question of military expenses, if we devote this piece of land to public use, then the people in the crowded areas of Yau Ma Tei and Tsim Sha Tsui will be happier and more contented, and I think there would probably be no need to have an Army here to keep law and order as the people would be much happier and would not cause any trouble. Therefore, I shall support Mr. SALES' motion.
CHAIRMAN: Ladies and gentlemen, I have not prepared any speech. I have listened with great interest to the speeches of members, and I shall not speak for very long. The first thing that I wish to say
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
39
is that I do not think simply from the point of view of this Council, anyone would wish to disagree with the terms of this motion.
Before I make my main point, I have three disjointed points to bring to your notice. I think I am correct in saying to Mr. FORSGATE that a decision on this matter rests with the Governor-in-Council, as advised by the Town Planning Board, and that the Colonial Secretariat, in this case, is not likely to be at the bottom of any decision that is made. (Laughter).
The second point is that it may interest members to know that, as far as Tsim Sha Tsui is concerned, the population is declining. The 1961 census showed us 87,000 as the population; five years later, in 1966, the bi-census showed us 75,000, that is a decline of 12,000, and it is in keeping with a similar tendency in the Central District of Victoria. None the less, I do not emphasize this, because this Whitfield Barracks' park is intended, as far as the Council and the Department is concerned, to serve Yau Ma Tei as well as Tsim Sha Tsui.
The third point I would like to make concerns something said by Mr. Hilton CHEONG-LEEN about having an Oriental flavour to this park or to part of this park. He may be interested to know that the nationality which supplies the second largest number of tourists to us, that is the Japanese, come to Hong Kong because of its exotic Western flavour (Laughter).
Mainly I wish to remind members that in December, at the Annual Conventional Debate, I said that the area of Whitfield Barracks set aside for a park by the Board in its draft outline plan already exceeds the area of the Botanic Gardens by 9 acres. Whether we get the whole of Whitfield Barracks or only a portion, we will be getting a substantial park. The question is, of course, one of priority claims on resources. Internal security has its claim on us just like recreational facilities. It is a very difficult decision to say how much shall be given for any particular claim.
I will conclude by saying that the text of this interesting debate will be transmitted to the Colonial Secretariat as soon as I have the draft Hansard available, and I hope it will be considered by the Governor-in-Council when deciding on this matter.
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN: Mr. Chairman, by way of personal explanation, may I point out that I do not have as many Japanese speaking friends as English speaking friends, but judging from my limited knowledge of the reason why tourists come to Hong Kong, the Japanese who come from a country where there is a very strong Oriental flavour, naturally come here to buy inexpensive Western merchandise which is available in Tsim Sha Tsui, and also to patronize some of
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not in the delegation which this Council sent to the Town Planning Board and I was unaware of the final deliberations as to what was coming, but I do hope that the general theme of the very large open space would come into effect in giving Kowloon a park, at least 50% larger than the Botanic Gardens in Hong Kong.
With these remarks, Sir, speaking from the cross benches, I will neither vote for nor against the motion.
MR. CHEUNG WING-IN-As a very keen member of the Parks, Recreation & Amenities Select Committee I speak in support of the motion. As a Council, we are making good progress in providing recreation facilities in new developing areas but, for lack of space, we have been unable to provide suitable facilities in the crowded districts. As many of our young people and children cannot conveniently go to other areas for their recreation, it must be Government's policy to bring these facilities to them. Whitfield Barracks, in the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui, provides much needed ground for recreation, and if the site is well laid out with a fountain and a rest garden, it will be an added attraction to tourists, many of whom do not see our beautiful countryside.
Together with my colleagues on this Council, I urge that Govern- ment reserve the whole of Whitfield Barracks as open space.
MR. H. H. L. Hu:-Mr. Chairman, I simply cannot keep my month shut (Laughter) because I promised Mr. SALES I would speak, and because this is the only opportunity that I have to support the idea put forward by Mr. SALES. Speaking seriously, if we get Whitfield Barracks, it will not be without any price. We, the Hong Kong people, have already paid the price for getting Whitfield Barracks. The British Government gave Whitfield Barracks back to us because we contribute about £5,000,000 to military expenses each year. Therefore, the British Government released this land to us. If I am wrong I will probably be corrected, but this is what I understand. So that the people of Hong Kong, rich or poor, have already paid for the land, and it is high time that Government gave this piece of land to the public good of the community. Also, on the question of military expenses, if we devote this piece of land to public use, then the people in the crowded areas of Yau Ma Tei and Tsim Sha Tsui will be happier and more contented, and I think there would probably be no need to have an Army here to keep law and order as the people would be much happier and would not cause any trouble. Therefore, I shall support Mr. SALES' motion.
CHAIRMAN:-Ladies and gentlemen, I have not prepared any speech. I have listened with great interest to the speeches of members, and I shall not speak for very long. The first thing that I wish to say
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
39
is that I do not think simply from the point of view of this Council, anyone would wish to disagree with the terms of this motion.
Before I make my main point, I have three disjointed points to bring to your notice. I think I am correct in saying to Mr. FORSGATE that a decision on this matter rests with the Governor-in-Council, as advised by the Town Planning Board, and that the Colonial Secretariat, in this case, is not likely to be at the bottom of any decision that is made. (Laughter).
The second point is that it may interest members to know that, as far as Tsim Sha Tsui is concerned, the population is declining. The 1961 census showed us 87,000 as the population; five years later, in 1966, the bi-census showed us 75,000, that is a decline of 12,000, and it is in keeping with a similar tendency in the Central District of Victoria. None the less, I do not emphasize this, because this Whitfield Barracks' park is intended, as far as the Council and the Department is concerned, to serve Yau Ma Tei as well as Tsim Sha Tsui.
The third point I would like to make concerns something said by Mr. Hilton CHEONG-LEEN about having an Oriental flavour to this park or to part of this park. He may be interested to know that the nationality which supplies the second largest number of tourists to us, that is the Japanese, come to Hong Kong because of its exotic Western flavour (Laughter).
Mainly I wish to remind members that in December, at the Annual Conventional Debate, I said that the area of Whitfield Barracks set aside for a park by the Board in its draft outline plan already exceeds the area of the Botanic Gardens by 9 acres. Whether we get the whole of Whitfield Barracks or only a portion, we will be getting a substantial park. The question is, of course, one of priority claims on resources. Internal security has its claim on us just like recreational facilities. It is a very difficult decision to say how much shall be given for any particular claim.
I will conclude by saying that the text of this interesting debate will be transmitted to the Colonial Secretariat as soon as I have the draft Hansard available, and I hope it will be considered by the Governor-in-Council when deciding on this matter.
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, by way of personal explanation, may I point out that I do not have as many Japanese speaking friends as English speaking friends, but judging from my limited knowledge of the reason why tourists come to Hong Kong, the Japanese who come from a country where there is a very strong Oriental flavour, naturally come here to buy inexpensive Western merchandise which is available in Tsim Sha Tsui, and also to patronize some of
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