HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Sir, the Council is very active in supporting and developing culture, especially in the performing and visual arts. It tries also via its libraries to support the literary arts but I believe that considerably more could be done to develop the literary talent which must be lying dormant in both the Chinese and English languages in such a large city as ours and I would suggest that the Council subsidizes production of two literary magazines, one in Chinese and the other in English, to encourage our younger poets, novelists, and literary essayists who, at this moment, have nowhere to publish their work and no way of measuring themselves against their peers. In relation to our budget, this would be a very small expense which would pay huge cultural dividends. Mr. Chairman, I should perhaps here declare my interest as a practising poet.
Mr. Chairman, the Housing Department has made a brave start with squatter area improvements in Sau Mau Ping. When I saw these I was impressed not only with what was being done but how it was being done and I hope that Government will fund these necessary improvements in other areas and that this Council and the Urban Services Department will give the fullest possible support to these improvements which will cut down the risk of fire and make life in these very below standard dormitory areas a little more liveable. May I in this connection ask Government and the relevant department to stop their piecemeal clearance of squatter areas and approach this problem methodically. It is far better for the inhabitants of the squatter areas and for those of our citizens who live in housing areas adjacent to such squatter areas, to clear one area completely rather than as at present clear small bits here and there, which means that the unsightliness and inconvenience to those having to live next to squatter areas persists in spite of some squatter clearance having taken place. The present illogical piecemeal approach falls between two stools so that everyone concerned gets the worst of all worlds. This needs rethinking very urgently. I would suggest that the aim should be to clear some of the areas of the territory completely of all squatters and then encourage squatters to settle in other areas, because it is obvious that we will need this aid to our housing solution for some considerable time to come. Common sense should be used and an overall view should be taken.
Mr. Chairman, I noticed that once or twice last year in programmes for events jointly sponsored by this Council and other mainly sporting organizations, Tobacco advertisements appeared. I think it is fairly well established now that smoking is dangerous and an anti-social habit because it not only affects the smoker but all those around him or her and it should be discouraged.
Mr. Chairman, I think this Council should make absolutely certain that it is no longer associated with any kind of tobacco advertising even to the point of withdrawing sponsorship of events if our co-sponsors are tobacco companies or if tobacco advertising is accepted for the venue or the programmes. The Council has given a lead in prohibiting smoking at all its meetings including committee meetings. It should now also go further and prohibit smoking in all its venues.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Page 121 of 142
199
Mr. Chairman, last year at this time I said there was not enough being done to make sure that more larger trees are planted in our City and advocated the employment of landscape experts and also research into the subject to find trees, shrubs and creepers etc. which could stand up to our climate, our pollution, our typhoons and grow quickly. The Council cannot do this on its own, it needs Government's help and so far Government has been singularly uncooperative. Not only have they not done anything about initiating the type of research which is urgently required, but they have, in fact, cut down a great many trees during last year. Kowloon Park and Sir Cecil's Ride are just some of the examples. I hope that this year the Council will take a very much stronger stand in this matter, and I want to repeat again, trees and plants are not just a beautifying aspect of the landscape, they help absorb pollution, they lower the temperature and they add to the quality of life. And everyone should please remember it takes thirty years to replace a felled thirty year old tree.
Lastly, Mr. Chairman, let me point out that this year, in our 100th year, the Council is entering upon a new chapter in its life. For the first time an electorate of nearly one million will be entitled to vote for Urban Council representatives and for the first time the Councillors will be standing in constituencies, and we will, next year, be 30 Members instead of the present 24. Also, the elected District Boards will become much more active and a very much closer cooperation between the Urban Council and the District Boards will be essential if the new system is going to work properly. I believe we may have to carefully consider all our present ways of doing things in the light of these entirely new circumstances. I hope that this matter will be approached by all the 30 Council members objectively so that we can carry on efficiently in the interests of all the over 4 million people living in the urban areas of Hong Kong, so that we can all be proud to belong to this Council which, in its 100 years' existence, has done more than any other Government body in this Territory to improve the quality of life of our population.
Mr. Chairman, I beg to move.
MR. EDMUND W. H. CHOW (in Cantonese):----Mr. Chairman, being the last one to speak at this annual debate of the Council, I have to prepare my speech with special care. After listening to my senior Colleagues' grand, outspoken speeches which I have used for reference, I must make appropriate adjustments to mine. The learned views expressed in the two days at the debate are like delicacies of a grand banquet in which my speech, the last one, is just the insignificant routine dessert which appears dispensable. It should therefore be made light so as not to be wasted. Thus, my speech is going to be short to suit the occasion.
1982 was a worrisome, turbulent year for the people of Hong Kong, though I think some of the worries are self-inflicted. The sensation trumped up by some of us, in addition to the effects of the world recession, has caused the economy of Hong Kong to suffer critically. One may say that these trumped-up troubles have even a greater effect on our economy than the question of 1997. The
198
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Sir, the Council is very active in supporting and developing culture, especially in the performing and visual arts. It tries also via its libraries to support the literary arts but I believe that considerably more could be done to develop the literary talent which must be lying dormant in both the Chinese and English languages in such a large city as ours and I would suggest that the Council subsidizes production of two literary magazines, one in Chinese and the other in English, to encourage our younger poets, novelists, and literary essayists who, at this moment, have nowhere to publish their work and no way of measuring themselves against their peers. In relation to our budget, this would be a very small expense which would pay huge cultural dividends. Mr. Chairman, I should perhaps here declare my interest as a practising poet.
Mr. Chairman, the Housing Department has made a brave start with squatter area improvements in Sau Mau Ping. When I saw these I was impressed not only with what was being done but how it was being done and I hope that Government will fund these necessary improvements in other areas and that this Council and the Urban Services Department will give the fullest possible support to these improvements which will cut down the risk of fire and make life in these very below standard dormitory areas a little more liveable. May I in this connection ask Government and the relevant department to stop their piecemeal clearance of squatter areas and approach this problem methodically. It is far better for the inhabitants of the squatter areas and for those of our citizens who live in housing areas adjacent to such squatter areas, to clear one area completely rather than as at present clear small bits here and there, which means that the unsightlessness and inconvenience to those having to live next to squatter areas persists in spite of some squatter clearance having taken place. The present illogical piecemeal approach falls between two stools so that everyone concerned gets the worst of all worlds. This needs rethinking very urgently. I would suggest that the aim should be to clear some of the areas of the territory completely of all squatters and then encourage squatters to settle in other areas, because it is obvious that we will need this aid to our housing solution for some considerable time to come. Common sense should be used and an overall view should be taken.
Mr. Chairman, I noticed that once or twice last year in programmes for events jointly sponsored by this Council and other mainly sporting organiza- tions, Tobacco advertisements appeared. I think it is fairly well established now that smoking is dangerous and an anti-social habit because it not only affects the smoker but all those around him or her and it should be discouraged.
Mr. Chairman, I think this Council should make absolutely certain that it is no longer associated with any kind of tobacco advertising even to the point of withdrawing sponsorship of events if our co-sponsors are tobacco companies or if tobacco advertising is accepted for the venue or the programmes. The Council has given a lead in prohibiting smoking at all its meetings including committee meetings. It should now also go further and prohibit smoking in all its venues.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Page 121 of 142
199
Mr. Chairman, last year at this time I said there was not enough being done to make sure that more larger trees are planted in our City and advocated the employment of landscape experts and also research into the subject to find trees, shrubs and creepers etc. which could stand up to our climate, our pollution, our typhoons and grow quickly. The Council cannot do this on its own, it needs Government's help and so far Government has been singularly uncooperative. Not only have they not done anything about initiating the type of research which is urgently required, but they have, in fact, cut down a great many trees during last year. Kowloon Park and Sir Cecil's Ride are just some of the examples. I hope that this year the Council will take a very much stronger stand in this matter, and I want to repeat again, trees and plants are not just a beautifying aspect of the landscape, they help absorb pollution, they lower the temperature and they add to the quality of life. And everyone should please remember it takes thirty years to replace a felled thirty year old tree.
Lastly, Mr. Chairman, let me point out that this year, in our 100th year, the Council is entering upon a new chapter in its life. For the first time an electorate of nearly one million will be entitled to vote for Urban Council representatives and for the first time the Councillors will be standing in constituencies, and we will, next year, be 30 Members instead of the present 24. Also, the elected District Boards will become much more active and a very much closer co- operation between the Urban Council and the District Boards will be essential if the new system is going to work properly. I believe we may have to carefully consider all our present ways of doing things in the light of these entirely new circumstances. I hope that this matter will be approached by all the 30 Council members objectively so that we can carry on efficiently in the interests of all the over 4 million people living in the urban areas of Hong Kong, so that we can all be proud to belong to this Council which, in its 100 years' existence, has done more than any other Government body in this Territory to improve the quality of life of our population.
Mr. Chairman, I beg to move.
MR. EDMUND W. H. CHOW (in Cantonese):----Mr. Chairman, being the last one to speak at this annual debate of the Council, I have to prepare my speech with special care. After listening to my senior Colleagues' grand, outspoken speeches which I have used for reference, I must make appropriate adjustments to mine. The learned views expressed in the two days at the debate are like delicacies of a grand banquet in which my speech, the last one, is just the insignificant routine dessert which appears dispensable. It should therefore be made light so as not to be wasted. Thus, my speech is going to be short to suit the occasion.
1982 was a worrisome, turbulent year for the people of Hong Kong, though I think some of the worries are self-inflicted. The sensation trumped up by some of us, in addition to the effects of the world recession, has caused the economy of Hong Kong to suffer critically. One may say that these trumped-up troubles have even a greater effect on our economy than the question of 1997. The
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