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one hand, and to be exposed to the best in the cultures of other countries both in the West and in Asia on the other hand.
It is only fitting therefore for the Urban Council to give every support to the first International Arts Festival which will be held in Hong Kong in the Spring of next year. This Festival will expose Hong Kong residents to the finest that the Western world has to offer in the performing arts. It will also pose a challenge and stimulus to up-and-coming Hong Kong artists to aspire to greater things.
arts.
As residents of a thriving international city, we have a moral obligation to foster the right environment for the flourishing of the It will enable us in turn to rediscover our cultural heritage, inculcate in us a stronger sense of identity, of purpose, and of greater dedication to community effort.
One of the ways in which the Urban Council can promote the arts would be to have Awards for Art covering categories such as music, drama, dancing, painting, calligraphy, sculpture and photography.
These Awards could be awarded biennially based on rules recommended to the Urban Council by appropriate advisory panels.
Government is reported to have plans to build one community centre for every 20,000 of population, which is about 200 community centres altogether.
If this is true, it would be worthwhile for the Urban Council to bring culture to the masses by extending its cultural services through the network of community centres which have been or will be established in the years to come.
Before I formally second the motion, Mr. Chairman, may I say that I have been reminded by my colleague, Mr. Roger LOBO, before the commencement of this meeting that this is, in all probability, the last Annual Conventional Debate which you will be chairing. You have chaired many of these Annual Conventional Debates, to what extent you have suffered in silence or to what extent you have found an educational process, I have not yet been able to discover. I have noticed Mr. Chairman, that on occasions you have been somewhat red in the face, whether that was due to your embarrassment in the fire of verbal onslaught of Unofficial Members or whether it was due to the T.V. lights, again, I have not yet been able to find out. But whatever it is, we appreciate very much your sincere tactfulness and forbearance. It is to be hoped, Mr. Chairman, that your successor, whoever he or she may be, will live up to the high standard that you have set in chairing these Annual Conventional Debates which I hope will continue even next year and in the years to come.
I now have much pleasure in seconding the Motion. (Applause).
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MR. R. H. LOBO (In English):-Sir, in rising to support the motion I will speak on some matters which I believe are of great importance to this Council.
However, before doing so, Mr. Chairman, I would like to say how sorry I am, like Mr. CHEONG-LEEN is, that this will be your last debate in the Chair. We have all enjoyed your friendship, your humour and your Chairmanship. I would also like to add my appreciation and good wishes to you to those already expressed by other speakers. If I may, I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our Secretary Mr. TINSON, Assistant Director Mr. Gus CHUI, Mr. SEMPLE, Mr. OZORIO and many, many members of your U.S.D. for their co-operation, without which some of my work in this Council would have been indeed most trying.
I will now endeavour to put forward some thoughts which I hope will find focus.
To begin with, Sir, a matter which remains unsolved and the likelihood of its solution is as remote as when the problems first began.
The Hawker Control Force. Presently, due to shortage of man-power, the H.C.F. only operate in certain areas of Hong Kong Island leaving the balance of the Island and the whole of Kowloon in the hands of the hard-pressed Police which for various reasons cannot do this work effectively.
The question is: do we need and want a low morale, disciplined body only to make arrests? A body which the public often compares with the Police but whose pay and all other benefits can only be comparable to those of the labourers. A body of men branded with the heritage and stigma of corruption and exposed to danger of chopper and other attacks without any instrument for self defence?
The new Hawker By-laws is a step forward but like all laws, it can only work if and when put into proper practice. Provide not more than 150 men in the streets at any one time. Recruitments have proven to be a total failure. We should therefore ask ourselves if in the light of the present conditions is the H.C.F. providing a service or a dis-service? The new by-laws make provisions for persons other than H.C.F. members to serve notice and charge. Bearing in mind that the H.C.F. has only one role to perform would it not be more practical to consider the formation of a new body altogether to undertake general duties from tidy-up operation and cleansing to general supervision of things on the ground?
I subscribe to the idea of giving hawkers off-street sites and bazaars but, presently, the current arrangements are not working well
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one hand, and to be exposed to the best in the cultures of other countries both in the West and in Asia on the other hand.
It is only fitting therefore for the Urban Council to give every support to the first International Arts Festival which will be held in Hong Kong in the Spring of next year. This Festival will expose Hong Kong residents to the finest that the Western world has to offer in the performing arts. It will also pose a challenge and stimulus to up-and-coming Hong Kong artists to aspire to greater things.
arts.
As residents of a thriving international city, we have a moral obligation to foster the right environment for the flourishing of the It will enable us in turn to rediscover our cultural heritage, inculcate in us a stronger sense of identity, of purpose, and of greater dedication to community effort.
One of the ways in which the Urban Council can promote the arts would be to have Awards for Art covering categories such as music, drama, dancing, painting, calligraphy, sculpture and photography.
These Awards could be awarded biennially based on rules recommended to the Urban Council by appropriate advisory panels.
Government is reported to have plans to build one community centre for every 20,000 of population, which is about 200 community centres altogether.
If this is true, it would be worthwhile for the Urban Council to bring culture to the masses by extending its cultural services through the network of community centres which have been or will be established in the years to come.
Before I formally second the motion, Mr. Chairman, may I
say that I have been reminded by my colleague, Mr. Roger LOBO, before the commencement of this meeting that this is, in all probability, the last Annual Conventional Debate which you will be chairing. You have chaired many of these Annual Conventional Debates, to what extent you have suffered in silence or to what extent you have found an educational process, I have not yet been able to discover. I have noticed Mr. Chairman, that on occasions you have been somewhat red in the face, whether that was due to your embarrassment in the fire of verbal onslaught of Unofficial Members or whether it was due to the T.V. lights, again, I have not yet been able to find out. But whatever it is, we appreciate very much your sincere tactfulness and forbearance. It is to be hoped, Mr. Chairman, that your successor, whoever he or she may be, will live up to the high standard that you have set in chairing these Annual Conventional Debates which I hope will continue even next year and in the years to come.
I now have much pleasure in seconding the Motion. (Applause).
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
233
MR. R. H. LOBO (In English):-Sir, in rising to support the motion I will speak on some matters which I believe are of great importance
to this Council.
However, before doing so, Mr. Chairman, I would like to say how sorry I am, like Mr. CHEONG-LEEN is, that this will be your last debate in the Chair. We have all enjoyed your friendship, your humour and your Chairmanship. I would also like to add my appreciation and good wishes to you to those already expressed by other speakers. If I may, I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our Secretary Mr. TINSON, Assistant Director Mr. Gus CHUI, Mr. SEMPLE, Mr. OZORIO and many, many members of your U.S.D. for their co-operation, without which some of my work in this Council would have been indeed most trying.
I will now endeavour to put forward some thoughts which I hope will find focus.
To begin with, Sir, a matter which remains unsolved and the likelihood of its solution is as remote as when the problems first began.
The Hawker Control Force. Presently, due to shortage of man- power, the H.C.F. only operate in certain areas of Hong Kong Island leaving the balance of the Island and the whole of Kowloon in the hands of the hard-pressed Police which for various reasons cannot do this work effectively.
The question is: do we need and want a low morale, disciplined body only to make arrests? A body which the public often compares with the Police but whose pay and all other benefits can only be comparable to those of the labourers. A body of men branded with the heritage and stigma of corruption and exposed to danger of chopper and other attacks without any instrument for self defence?
The new Hawker By-laws is a step forward but like all laws, it can only work if and when put into proper practice. Provide not more than 150 men in the streets at any one time. Recruitments have proven to be a total failure. We should therefore ask ourselves if in the light of the present conditions is the H.C.F. providing a service or a dis-service? The new by-laws make provisions for persons other than H.C.F. members to serve notice and charge. Bearing in mind that the H.C.F. has only one role to perform would it not be more practical to consider the formation of a new body altogether to undertake general duties from tidy-up operation and cleansing to general supervision of things on the ground?
I subscribe to the idea of giving hawkers off-street sites and bazaars but, presently, the current arrangements are not working well
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.