ENG-1957 — Page 118

96

HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT

300 inquiries were recorded by official delegates headed by Col. J. D. Clague, C.B.E., M.C., T.D., J.P.

The Chinese Manufacturers' Association, on its own initiative, also arranged an exhibition of Hong Kong products in Singapore during August. This was the fourth such exhibition and it was opened by the Chief Minister, Mr. Lim Yew Hock. Part of the exhibit was later sent to Kuala Lumpur for display in a specially erected pavilion at the Merdeka Fair held to mark the Federation of Malaya's independence. It is believed that the results of the Associa- tion's enterprise were highly satisfactory.

In February the Hong Kong and Kowloon Clock and Watch Trade Merchants Association staged an international exhibition of watches and clocks on the Central Reclama- tion. Many leading watch manufacturers took part and the exhibition attracted numerous visitors both local and over-

seas.

Once again the Chinese Manufacturers' Association (formerly Union) of Hong Kong held an exhibition in December-the fifteenth in a series which began before the war-designed to show the people of the Colony and overseas buyers the great variety of manufactures in Hong Kong and the progress made in the previous twelve months. Despite the somewhat cramped site in Kowloon-occasioned by construction on the former exhibition site on the Island— the fair presented its usual glittering spectacle and attracted vast crowds of visitors.

In a farewell speech at the opening of this exhibition Sir Alexander Grantham suggested that the time had probably come to organize a Federation of Hong Kong Industries. This proposal met with general approval, and the Govern- ment announced shortly afterwards that it intended to appoint a representative committee to advise what appro- priate action should be taken.

The Trade Promotion Branch of the Commerce and Industry Department, which is responsible for organizing