1970 — Page 198

241

Page 198 of 241

374

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN.

CHAIRMAN:-Ladies and gentlemen, the meeting is called to order. I hope you have all had a Merry Christmas and a very happy beginning to the New Year. Before proceeding with the Agenda, I would like to welcome back Mr. HOLMES and Mr. ROBSON, and I am sure you would wish me to express appreciation to Mr. BRAY and Mr. CLARKE for holding the fort while they were away. (Applause).

MINUTES.

The minutes of the meeting held on 1st December, 1970, were confirmed.

PAPER.

THE CHAIRMAN laid upon the table the following paper:-

(1) Report on the work of the Urban Council and Urban

Services Department for the month of December, 1970.

MR. A. de O. SALES: Sir, the Recreation and Amenities Select Committee would like me to make a statement on two matters which are causing concern. We are sorry that it should be necessary to do so in public.

First, my Select Committee cannot understand the reason why the Government has cut down the seating capacity of the Kowloon Football Stadium to 35,000 when the Council recommended that it should be 50,000. There is hardly the need to justify this project for which Kowloon has waited for more than two decades.

Although the Government has indicated that the seating capacity could be increased eventually, yet it is clear that any attempt to save money at this time is misguided as it would be only marginal because the basic requirements and facilities must be provided from the start. Moreover, when the Government thinks the time has come to increase the seating capacity to 50,000, it is not unreasonable to suggest that the cost of doing so would have risen considerably and there would be no savings. It seems to us that it is a penny-wise, pound-foolish policy not to go ahead with the construction of a stadium for 50,000 people. We trust that the Government will review this matter.

Next, we find it even harder to understand why the Building Priorities Committee should have declined their support for the request to upgrade from Category C to B the construction of two playgrounds in densely populated districts in Kowloon where such play facilities are

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

375

deplorably lacking. The Select Committee suggested that the Govern- ment should press ahead with building playgrounds at Shek Ku Lung in Kowloon City and at Fuk Tsun Street in Tai Kok Tsui. The reply received from the Government is simply "insufficient justification for priority". What more justification is required has not been made known to my Select Committee. It would seem logical that the need for such playgrounds must be apparent to all reasonable men partic- ularly as they are required in two districts so thickly populated and where there is a dreadful shortage of play opportunities. Perhaps the Government would like to make known to this Council and the public generally the yardstick by which priority is justified and, more important, the standards by which the Government is guided in determining what playground facilities the children in any area should have. My Select Committee would like to protest very strongly about the action which the Building Priorities Committee has taken in this instance.

Let the Government come out into the open instead of operating behind closed doors. Then the public would be able to judge.

Sir, I would like to express the hope that the authorities would be good enough to own that a mistake has been made and that they would be gracious enough to accept this Council's recommendations made solely in the public interest.

MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN:-At the Urban Council Health Educa- tion Display Booth at the Chinese Manufacturers Association Exhibition, reference is made to the anti-social habit of indiscriminate spitting.

Regrettably, there are still some people in Hong Kong who spit indiscriminately not only in the streets but also from the upper storeys of multi-storey buildings.

Only too often a passer-by is the unlucky recipient of spittle square upon his head, much to his disgust and resentment.

During the past month I have received two complaints from such unlucky recipients.

It is hoped that during the "1971 Improve Your Environment Campaign" of the Urban Council steps will be taken to further educate the public to discontinue the anti-social habit of indiscriminate spitting.

Members of Council may have noticed that hawker matters com- prise one-quarter of the pages of the December Monthly Publicity Report.

This is an indication of the increased impetus and co-ordination exercised by the Urban Council through the Urban Services Department in all matters concerning hawkers.