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FAREWELL TO THE HON. WILSON T. S. WANG

CHAIRMAN:-Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the last public meeting of the whole Council that our Friend and Colleague, Mr. Wilson WANG, will be attending and I am sorry to see we are so thin on the Elected side. I would like to think that they would come after this meeting and join in paying tribute to him in my office.

Mr. WANG was first appointed to the Council in April 1961 and during his nine years in office, he has served on many Select Committees. He is at present the Chairman of the Abattoirs and Offensive Trades Select Committee and of the Museum and Art Gallery Select Committee. He is also a Member of the Health Education, Local Administration, Recreation and Amenities and Standing Orders and Procedure Select Committees. He has contributed a great deal to the Council in the interests of the people of Hong Kong, and he must derive considerable pleasure from the fact that during his term of office on the Abattoirs and Offensive Trades Select Committee new Abattoirs have come into being. It also now seems likely that as a result of his Chairmanship of the Museum and Art Gallery Select Committee, a new and substantial museum, in its own building, may become a reality.

One reason which Mr. WANG gives for not accepting re-appointment is that he feels it is time that he should stand down and make way for new and younger blood. I very much doubt if any new or younger Councillor would be able to fill easily the gap which Mr. WANG'S resignation will leave. However, we all know that he is an extremely busy man who has many other public commitments which demand his time, and I should like to take this opportunity to thank him publicly and most sincerely for all the excellent service he has given to the Council, and to the people of Hong Kong, and to wish him and his good lady all that is best in the future. Thank you, Mr. WANG. (Applause).

MR. SALES:-Mr. Chairman, the Senior Unofficial Member is not here to support your expressions of appreciation and also good wishes to Mr. Wilson WANG. I do so, even though he may be an Appointed Colleague of mine. He has been an excellent Colleague in every sense of the term and we are sorry to see him go. At the same time, we share in the sentiments and the good wishes which you have expressed to him. (Applause).

Mr. Wilson T. S. WANG:-Mr. Chairman, I am deeply touched by the many kindnesses which you and Mr. SALES have said about me and my work in this Council. I feel grateful, even though I well know it is more than I deserve. Frankly speaking, if it is to be assessed in the terms of my contribution, my term of office in this Council may be regarded as too short. In all honesty, I spent my first few years in this Council hiding in a corner feeling that I should not speak too much

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before I know more of the Council's work, while in the latter half of it, my self-consciousness, my seniority and a sense of responsibility, kept on reminding me that I should not utter a word without a second thought. But no sooner had I got myself prepared than there was always someone in the Council, particularly my friend on the left (Mr. WANG indicated Mr. SALES), who was quicker than I to cover what I wanted to say.

Sir, my association with the Council has indeed been an exciting one and a profitable experience for me, even after this very last meeting (Laughter). I hope my retirement will not be interpreted as a sign of frustration or boredom. In fact, it has always been so invigorating that my nine years seem to have passed so very fast.

Then, of course, as I observed, my Friends on the right have often tried to gesticulate in vain to catch the attention of the Chairman for want of the floor. I started to feel that they may be impatient with me for blocking their view of the Chair.

Sir, in the last nine years, I have seen the Council go from strength to strength and the scope of its functions expand considerably in spite of the fact that the Chairman has kept on repeating that all Official Members abstain from voting on the last item of our Statement of Aims and Objects. The Committees which I now Chair were not even in existence at that time. There were no such terms as Abattoirs or Cultural Services. The Parks and Playgrounds at that time were placed under the charge of a Superintendent of Gardens. There were at then only 16 members, Unofficial Members, as against 20 now. At that time, only the Appointed Members had the privilege to sit in front of the charming ladies. Now, the privilege is shared by those concerned, together with a pot of flowers right in front of them.

So forgive me if I appear to have been carried away by sentiment. I can still remember that Mr. LOBO spent 19 minutes expressing his objections to longwindedness (Laughter), but I have not yet started to say what I want to say. I must thank you one and all and I hope this will be conveyed to all my Elected Friends how much I owe gratitude to you all for the co-operation, assistance, advice and, above all, for your friendships which I shall long treasure. Although I shall no longer have the privilege to sit in this Council, I shall continue to watch the future progress of this Council with immense interest and to serve this Council as any citizen of Hong Kong should. (Applause).

CHAIRMAN: ...Ladies and Gentlemen. 1970 at 4 p.m.

ADJOURNMENT

4.36 P.M.

-That concludes the business of this meeting, Ladies Council stands adjourned until Tuesday, 7th April,

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