ENG-1958 — Page 373

316

HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT

of the New Territories. Particularly in Kowloon and Tsuen Wan, industrialists have opened large modern factories producing a wide range of goods for export throughout the world. To meet the demand for more land for industry and housing, the Govern- ment has continued to carry out many new reclamations and drainage schemes, whilst the investigation of the potentialities of new areas for development is constantly. in hand. Reservoir capacity also has been doubled and is being further enlarged.

The spectacular growth of new factories and workshops and the Colony's need to keep pace with world-wide advances in production, management and marketing techniques have been accompanied by ever higher standards of factory inspection, new labour legislation, and constantly increasing official concern with trade promotion, and technical and vocational training. A planned expansion is also under way in the fire and ambulance services.

The Government has embarked on a large-scale reconstruction of the Colony's road network. More rigorous traffic controls have been introduced in face of enlarged public transport services and the increase in number, and in size, of private cars in daily use. The railway has changed from steam to diesel-electric traction. A new airport, of which the first stage consists of the recently completed runway projecting into Kowloon Bay, is being con- structed to meet the needs of modern aircraft. Airline passengers, many of them tourists from overseas, have in turn created a demand for more and better hotel accommodation, and for sight- seeing and shopping facilities.!]

Postal and telecommunication services have set new records in the traffic handled. Broadcasting, wired and wireless, and wired television have developed as an essential part of the Colony's entertainment industry. Parks, playgrounds and well-supervised bathing beaches are only a few of the outdoor amenities which the public at large enjoy.

Despite this response to the challenge of over-population and the refugee influx, the Colony's ordinary life could not have run so smoothly, had it not been for the constant vigilance and efficiency of the security forces. The Kowloon riots of 1956, which constituted the most serious outbreak of violence in the post-war years, were quickly ended, and the lessons learnt on that occasion