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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
As Members are aware, responsibility for dividing the Colony into electoral districts and allocating polling stations rests with the Registration Officer and the Returning Officer. However, recognizing the direct and genuine interest of Members in this matter, I referred the question to the Colonial Secretary.
I am informed that the Registration and Returning Officers did indeed consider the need for polling stations in the New Territories, but felt there was no single district with sufficient voters to justify a separate polling station.
The cost of establishing and manning a polling station is apparently high, and I believe that all polling stations for the forthcoming election have been so sited as to serve well over 1,000 electors and in most cases several thousands of electors. The highest concentration of voters in the New Territories is in the Tai Po district where there are 887. Yuen Long has 630, Tsuen Wan 519, Sai Kung 139 and on the Islands there are 194. New Territories residents will be catered for at polling stations near to transport termini—the City Hall for voters from the Islands, the Government Primary School at San Po Kong for Sai Kung voters and the Queen Elizabeth School (near the Yau Ma Tei railway station) for others.
MRS. ELLIOTT: —Mr. Chairman, I am grateful to you for referring the question to the Colonial Secretary. I notice that you say that you seem to consider 1,000 voters a reasonable number for a polling booth. May I point out that Tai Po, Yuen Long and Tsuen Wan altogether, these three places are more or less on the same route, have more than 2,000. May I trouble you again to ask the Colonial Secretary if he would consider a proposal, which I think was first made by the Reform Club several years ago, to have a mobile polling booth?
CHAIRMAN: —If you mean by a mobile polling station, Mrs. ELLIOTT, one that wanders around from place to place, I do not think this is possible, because it has to be open for a certain period during the entire period of voting.
MRS. ELLIOTT: —Mr. Chairman, would it not be possible to have some kind of legislation that would permit the hours to be divided up into three, one for Yuen Long, one for Tai Po and one for Tsuen Wan?
CHAIRMAN: —As you know, I can hardly add to the answer that has already been given, Mrs. ELLIOTT. I can refer what you have said to the Colonial Secretary. But I would like to repeat what this Council
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
has been told before, and that is, whilst it would be proper for Government to consider and give full weight to the views of members or any other individuals or groups of people interested in this matter, it would not be proper for Government formally to consult the Council on the siting of a polling station.
MRS. ELLIOTT: —Mr. Chairman, I am aware of that, but may I ask you if it would be possible to ask the Colonial Secretary to consider this, or even to send him a record of the question and the supplementaries?
CHAIRMAN: —This will be done.
MR. BERNACCHI: —Three supplementaries, Mr. Chairman. The first is your final paragraph beginning "The cost of establishing and manning a polling station is apparently high". Am I correct in thinking that they are all manned by permanent civil servants, and therefore, in effect, the salaries are payable anyhow?
CHAIRMAN: —I am not exactly sure on this, Mr. BERNACCHI. It is hardly in my line, or in the line of the original question.
MR. BERNACCHI: —The second supplementary is. Is it correct that at one time a polling station had previously a total of 7 votes cast in the whole of one of the elections?
CHAIRMAN: —I have no information on this Mr. BERNACCHI; you have an advantage over me perhaps on this.
MR. BERNACCHI: —The last supplementary is on the question, and on your answer. Who is responsible for paying the fares of voters who have to come into Kowloon to vote?
CHAIRMAN: —That is rather out of order, but I think that falls on the voters themselves.
MR. HU: —Mr. Chairman, what is your impression for the Colonial Secretary to erect three polling stations, one at Tai Po, one at Yuen Long and the other at Tsuen Wan. Would the Colonial Secretary agree to erect, or would you like him to erect such polling stations?
CHAIRMAN: —That is out of order, Mr. Hu, and I am afraid I cannot really say what the Colonial Secretary's impression would be.
MR. HU: —Would you not agree with my thinking that the Colonial Secretary would be very reluctant to erect those polling stations?
CHAIRMAN: —I should imagine so.
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
As Members are aware, responsibility for dividing the Colony into electoral districts and allocating polling stations rests with the Registration Officer and the Returning Officer. However, recognizing the direct and genuine interest of Members in this matter, I referred the question to the Colonial Secretary.
I am informed that the Registration and Returning Officers did indeed consider the need for polling stations in the New Territories, but felt there was no single district with sufficient voters to justify a separate polling station.
The cost of establishing and manning a polling station is apparently high, and I believe that all polling stations for the forthcoming election have been so sited as to serve well over 1,000 electors and in most cases several thousands of electors. The highest concentration of voters in the New Territories is in the Tai Po district where there are 887. Yuen Long has 630, Tsuen Wan 519, Sai Kung 139 and on the Islands there are 194. New Territories residents will be catered for at polling stations near to transport termini—the City Hall for voters from the Islands, the Government Primary School at San Po Kong for Sai Kung voters and the Queen Elizabeth School (near the Yau Ma Tei railway station) for others.
MRS. ELLIOTT: -Mr. Chairman, I am grateful to you for referring the question to the Colonial Secretary. I notice that you say that you seem to consider 1,000 voters a reasonable number for a polling booth. May I point out that Tai Po, Yuen Long and Tsuen Wan altogether, these three places are more or less on the same route, have more than 2,000. May I trouble you again to ask the Colonial Secretary if he would consider a proposal, which I think was first made by the Reform Club several years ago, to have a mobile polling booth?
CHAIRMAN: —If you mean by a mobile polling station, Mrs. ELLIOTT, one that wanders around from place to place, I do not think this is possible, because it has to be open for a certain period during the entire period of voting.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, would it not be possible to have some kind of legislation that would permit the hours to be divided up into three, one for Yuen Long, one for Tai Po and one for Tsuen Wan?
CHAIRMAN:-As you know, I can hardly add to the answer that has already been given, Mrs. ELLIOTT. I can refer what you have said to the Colonial Secretary. But I would like to repeat what this Council
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
227
has been told before, and that is, whilst it would be proper for Govern- ment to consider and give full weight to the views of members or any other individuals or groups of people interested in this matter, it would not be proper for Government formally to consult the Council on the siting of a polling station.
MRS. ELLIOTT:---Mr. Chairman, I am aware of that, but may I ask you if it would be possible to ask the Colonial Secretary to consider this, or even to send him a record of the question and the supplemen- taries?
CHAIRMAN:-This will be done.
MR. BERNACCHI:-Three supplementaries, Mr. Chairman. The first is your final paragraph beginning "The cost of establishing and manning a polling station is apparently high". Am I correct in thinking that they are all manned by permanent civil servants, and therefore, in effect, the salaries are payable anyhow?
CHAIRMAN:-I am not exactly sure on this, Mr. BERNACCHI. It is hardly in my line, or in the line of the original question.
MR. BERNACCHI :-The second supplementary is. Is it correct that at one time a polling station had previously a total of 7 votes cast in the whole of one of the elections?
CHAIRMAN:-I have no information on this Mr. BERNACCHI; you have an advantage over me perhaps on this.
MR. BERNACCHI:-The last supplementary is on the question, and on your answer. Who is responsible for paying the fares of voters who have to come into Kowloon to vote?
CHAIRMAN:-That is rather out of order, but I think that falls on the voters themselves.
MR. HU: ---Mr. Chairman, what is your impression for the Colonial Secretary to erect three polling stations, one at Tai Po, one at Yuen Long and the other at Tsuen Wan. Would the Colonial Secretary agree to erect, or would you like him to erect such polling stations?
CHAIRMAN: -That is out of order, Mr. Hu, and I am afraid I cannot really say what the Colonial Secretary's impression would be.
MR. HU:-Would you not agree with my thinking that the Colonial Secretary would be very reluctant to erect those polling stations?
CHAIRMAN:-I should imagine so.
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