4000091 P.R.H. 7
DAILY INFORMATION
Wednesday, June 16, 1971
BULLETIN
CABLE-CAR FOR LION ROCK PROPOSED
Tenders To Be Invited For Installation
*******
Kowloon may have a cable car leading to Lion Rock.
A proposal for the construction and operation of a cable-car system from Sha Tin Pass Road to the peak east of Lion Rock has been approved in principle by the Governor in Council.
The 1,630-foot high Lion Rock (Lion Peak) or ’’Fung Wong Shan” (Phoenix Peak) is so called because its prominent feature has a strong similarity to a crouching lion.
The unusual rock formation of the peak is very much a part of £he Kowloon skyline and is an attraction not only to visitors to Hong Kong but also to local residents.
The installation of a cable-car to take visitors to the top of Lion Rock is expected to be a boon to tourism.
A Government spokesman said today that the right to build and operate the cable-car for which legislation will be required will be put to tender. Details of the terms will be announced when they have been finalised.
Any scheme must provide safeguards for public safety, meet the requirements of air navigation in the area and have adequate facilities to receive large numbers of people, including the provision of parking spaces.
It is proposed that the lower terminal be sited on an area of land adjoining Sha Tin Pass Road and the upper terminal on the eastern end of the Lion Rock feature. The terminals would include a restaurant and general facilities for visitors.
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/2........
Wednesday, June 16, 1971
- 2 -
BUILDINGS DECLARED DANGEROUS
On Hong Kong Island And In Kowloon
********
The Building Authority today, Wednesday, declared Nos. 1 and 5 Gough Street on Hong Kong Island to be in dangerous condition and No. 3 Gough Street liable to become dangerous.
At the same time, the Authority declared Nos. 36-42 Tai Nan Street in Kowloon also to be in dangerous condition.
In separate statements this morning, the Principal Government Building Surveyor said that the three three-storey pre-war buildings in Gough Street had been under observation for several years.
The brickwork to all the walls of No. 1 Gough Street had deteriorated progressively and some of the roof and floor timbers and the shoring erected to give additional support were now decayed.
The walls and timbers in No. 5 were similarly deteriorated and there was pronounced movement of the front wall.
The defects in these two buildings could result in a collapse which would also involve No. 3 which shows signs of similar defects.
Accordingly notices of intention to apply for Closure Orders were posted on the buildings today. Hearings have been set for 9»3O a.m. at the Victoria District Court on July 14.
In the case of Nos. 36-42 Tai Nan Street, the Principal Government Building Surveyor said that in the course of routine inspection the reinforced concrete to the structural framing floors and roof of these four-storey pre-war buildings was found to be in an advanced state of deterioration, which could cause a collapse.
/As a result ........
Wednesday, June 16, 1971
- 3 -
As a result notices of intention to apply for Closure Orders were posted on the buildings today. Hearings have been set for 9»3O a.m. at the Kolwoon District Court on July 14.
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URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT
Health And Hawker Liaison Offices New Premises
*******
The Hawker Liaison Office (Yau Ma Tei) and the Tsim Sha Tsui Health Office of the Urban Services Department are now operating from the Canton Road Government Offices Building, 7th floor, Kowloon.
The new telephones numbers are as follow:-
Hawker Liaison Office (Yau Ma Tei)
Hawker Liaison Office (Yau Ma Tei) ................................. K-686620
General Office .............................. K-686630
Tsim Sha Tsui Health Office
Senior Health Inspector (Tsim Sha Tsui).............................. K-686730
General Office ............................... K-686336
K-686812
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Wednesday, June 16, 1971
- 4 -
IMPROVEMENTS TO BOUNDARY STREET SPORTS GROUND FENCING
To Prevent Crowd Obstruction Outside Playground
********
Two concrete walls, both eight feet high, will be built on the Boundary Street side of the Boundary Street Playground in Kowloon as part of improvement work for the playground which is now intended to be used for major league football games and other sports events.
The walls, one totalling about 200 feet in length and the other 280 feet, will form part of the existing perimeter fencing.
They will be positioned to the rear of the open gap between the spectator stands so as to give the effect of preventing crowds gathering outside the playground during football games or other sporting events, thus causing obstructions to pedestrians.
On completion of the walls, the existing wire fencing between them will also be raised to eight feet.
Other improvement and additional work such as increasing the seating capacity to 10,000 had already been completed.
Work on the improvement to the perimeter fencing and building of the concrete walls is expected to start next month and be completed by September this year.
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Wednesday, June 16, 1971
- 5 -
PRINCESS ALEXANDRA COMMUNITY CENTRE Tenth Anniversary Celebrations On Friday *«o**»*
The Princess Alexandra Community Centre in Tsuen Wan will mark its tenth anniversary at a celebration in the Assembly Hall on Friday, June 18.
Presiding will be senior Social Welfare Department officers and leading residents of the industrial township, including Chamber of Commerce and Rural Committee members, bankers> magistrates, and New Territories Administration representatives.
The Centre was built with money donated by Commonwealth countries during the World Refugee Year in 1959* It was completed in 1961 and formally opened by the then Governor, Sir Robert Black.
It was visited in the same year by Princess Alexandra, and Her Royal Highness agreed to a request that the Centre be named after her to commemorate the occasion. She unveiled a plaque on November 18, 1961.
But the Centre's history actually goes back to 1955 when the
Social Welfare Department began to pay special attention to the needs of young people in the growing township. A club for boys and girls, with a small library, provided a modest start.
The Centre today offers a convenient meeting place and opportunities and facilities for thousands of young people and other residents in the district. It organises cultural, social and recreational activities, and looks after individual and family welfare. It also houses a number of voluntary agencies.
/In 1970 ........
Wednesday, June lb, 1971
- 6 -
In 1970, local organisations used the Assembly Hall Conference Room extensively. In the same year, membership of different units reached 10,429.
Mr. Lam Kwok-wan, Warden, says many former members now grown up and scattered throughout Hong Kong will return to Tsuen Wan on Friday for the Centre’s tenth anniversary celebrations.
They will join with new settlers to help promote the Centre’s aim "to bring service to the people,” particularly in the area’s three densely-populated resettlement estates, a low-cost housing estate, and numerous factories.
Co-operation Essential
”In fast-developing Tsuen Wan,” Mr. Lam explains, "no organisation can effectively cope by itself with all that needs to be done. Co-operation is essential. We are fortunate to be able to work with welfare agencies, schools, and dozens of committees. Our joint aim is to make Tsuen Wan a better place in which to live."
A highlight of the celebrations on Friday will be speeches by Mr. J.S. Warren, District Officer, Tsuen Wan; Mr. Deacon T.K. Chiu, Chairman Tsuen Wan Chamber of Commerce; and Mr. Stephen Lam Chi-kin, Senior Principal Social welfare Officer (Group and Community Division).
»***««**
Note to editors: You are invited to have the anniversary celebrations covered on Friday. They begin at 4 p.m.
Transport will be provided. A station wagon, AM2O97, will take members of the Press, radio and TV to Tsuen Wan and back. It will leave the Kowloon
sub-pool behind the Tsim Sha Tsui Post Office at 3.15 p.m. and will return to town after the ceremony.
Wednesday, June 16, 1971
- 7 -
LEPROSY UNDER CONTROL IN HONG KONG
Government Plans To Phase Out Leprosarium ««*****«
Plans for phasing out and eventually closing the leprosarium on Hay Ling Chau are now being considered by Government.
Leprosy has now been brought under control in Hong Kong, thanks to well-planned leprosy care and control programmes conducted by the Leprosy Mission, Hong Kong Auxiliary and the Medical and Health Department.
The general pattern throughout the world is to integrate leprosy treatment into normal medical services, as it is thought that the admission of patients into a leprosarium, as distinct from a general hospital, makes subsequent rehabilitation and integration into the community more difficult.
For many years, the Social Hygiene Services of the Medical and Health Department have been providing out-patient treatment for leprosy patients through their special ”skin” clinics, and leprosy patients suffering from other diseases are already being treated in the public wards of Government hospitals.
The number of patients on Hay Ling Chau has been decreasing each year. Once there were 5^0 patients, today there are only 215» including 118 non-contagious patients who are admitted only for follow-up, observation, convalescence, etc.
By 197^1 when the change is contemplated, it is estimated that there will be less than 80 patients needing continued institutional care while others can be treated on an out-patient basis.
/For these ...........
Wednesday, June 16, 1971
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For these 80 patients, Government plans to make available a special unit in the infectious disease block of the new Lai Chi Kok Hospital now under construction on a promontory to the west of Lai Chi Kok Bay. In this block there will be ample facilities for separating patients with different infectious diseases.
So far, more than 1,000 people have been treated and dis-charged from Hay Ling Chau and referred back to Government out-patient clinics for follow-up. They are now leading ordinary lives in the community, many of them employed by Government.
No Danger
’’There is no danger for people who visit or live near a leprosy patient as the disease is spread only by direct and continuous contact between one person and another over a long period of time and modern and effective treatment renders the patient non-infectious within a short period of time,” a spokesman for the Medical and Health Department reiterated today.
Natural resistance
"The vast majority of people have a natural resistance to the t disease and are able to destroy the invading germs.
"The interest and concern shown by members of the community towards leprosy patients has been most encouraging,” he said.
Since the opening of the leprosarium in 1951» about 40,000 local and overseas people, an average of 2,000 a year, have visited Hay Ling Chau to meet and talk to patients. Students from a well-known local co-educational secondary school go to Hay Ling Chau each Saturday to help the younger patients with their lessons or join them in an afternoon of entertainment.
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/9.........
Wednesday, June 16, 1971
- 9 -
PUBLIC ASSISTANCE SCHEME
Returns To ”Late Call” Programme By Popular Demand
*******
A recent ”Late Call” programme on public assistance over the Chinese channel of Radio Hong Kong provoked so many questions after the event that the scheme is to be given another hour of close public scrutiny on Friday.
This repeat appearance of Social Welfare Department officers will provide a second opportunity for members of the public to telephone in asking for information on aspects of the scheme that are not clear to them.
These could be, for example, on the eligibility criteria, on where to apply and how to apply , how much in cash is granted, for how many months, and where it is paid out.
Residents with vague notions of the scheme’s flexibility who seek precise information, could learn that public assistance was never intended solely for the aged, or the unemployed.
The sick qualify, even the employed with a large family and an income below a certain minimum.
Cash grants cover school fees, rent, travelling expenses, and occasionally even a special diet when a doctor so recommends.
The scheme’s spokesmen will be Mr. Bill Liang, Supervisor of the Yau Ma Tei Field Unit, and Mr. Kam Ying-tong, Supervisor of the Lam Tin Field Unit.
The programme can be heard on Friday, June 18, at 10.30 p.m.
It will last an hour.
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/10....................................
Wednesday, June 16, 1971
- 10 -
RATING AND VALUATION DEPARTMENT
No Need To Recruit Qualified Officers From Abroad
The Commissioner of Rating and Valuation, Mr. N. Cooke, says the successes of Valuation Assistants at overseas professional examinations in recent years mean that the department will no longer have to look abroad for qualified officers to fill the professional ranks of the department.
Mr. Cooke revealed that in March this year nine more Valuation Assistants passed the final professional examinations leading to qualified membership of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
This brings to J8 the number of Valuation Assistants who have successfully completed their examinations.
Mr. Cooke said there are a further 40 officers in the grade of Valuation Assistant at varying stages of qualification and results of the first and intermediate examinations are expected shortly.
All these officers are trained in the department and study by means of day-release courses and evening classes at the Hong Kong Technical College, while others take correspondence courses arranged by the College of Estate Management, London.
Following qualification the department usually arranges for officers to spend six months in England attached to a well-known firm of Rating Surveyors in London, Mr. Cooke said.
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/Il...........
Wednesday, June 16, 1971
11 -
IMMIGRATION SUB-INSPECTORS PASSING OUT PARADE
Director Of Immigration To Take Salute
********
Mr. W.E. Collard, Director of Immigration, will take the salute at a passing out parade of 38 newly recruited Immigration Sub-Inspectors at the parade ground of the Royal Hong Kong Defence Force (The Volunteers), in Sports Road, Happy Valley, on Saturday, June 19*
These officers will make up the largest number of Immigration Sub-Inspectors to have completed the three-month induction course at one time. ********
Note to editors; You are invited to send a reporter and/or photographer to cover the parade which will take place at 9.30 a.m. on Saturday, June 19»
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QUARANTINE RESTRICTIONS REMOVED
Quarantine restrictions imposed against arrivals from Cebu (port), Philippines on account of cholera have been removed, the Port Health authorities announced today.
Release time 7.30
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4000091 P.R.H. 7
HONG KONG GOVERNMENT
NFORMATION
( c
DcQC
SERVICES
DAILY INFORMATION BULLETIN
Thursday, June 17, 1971
EMBARGO NOTE: This item is embargoed. It is not for broadcast or publication until tomorrow morning.
REVISED POSTAL CHARGES TO COME INTO FORCE
ON JULY/AUGUST 1
Airmail and Ten Cent Letter Rates Unchanged
**«*««***
Some changes in Hong Kong’s inland and overseas surface postal rates were announced by the Postmaster General today and will come into effect on July 1st this year for overseas surface mail and August 1st for inland mail.
The basic ten cent rate for inland letters up to one ounce and the airmail postage rates which together form the bulk of postal traffic remain unchanged. The inland concessionary rate for printed matter which has not been changed since 1951 goes up from five cents to ten cents on 1st August because the service is no longer paying its way.
Most of the revised postal charges relate to overseas surface mails and are being introduced to bring the existing low Hong Kong postal rates up to world-wide minimum charges determined by the 19&9 Convention of the Universal Postal Union. The revised rates are, however, still generally much lower than those charged in most other countries in the world.
Thursday, June 17, 1971
2
There will be general increases in parcel post charges from .1st July due to higher handling costs, partly within Hong Kong but mainly in countries of destination, and by carriers. These increases generally reflect a world-wide trend.
Commenting on the new rates the Postmaster General, Mr. Addi, said today: ”We have had considerable success in keeping postage rates down but nevertheless we have to raise postal charges for those services for which the minimum rates were laid down by the Universal Postal Union at the Tokyo Convention, for which the existing charge is uneconomical, and where we are charged higher fees by carriers and other administrations. Costs have risen considerably over the past years and, as everyone knows, it now costs much more to employ staff than it did 20 years ago, when our basic inland rates were established.”
Other changes announced today which will also take effect from July 1st include the following:
The fee for registration will be raised from 40 cents to $1, as the present charge is less than half the handling cost. Registered mai1 represents a small percentage of all mail handled by the Post Office and out of a total of 2^0 million items posted in the Colony during the last financial year only 7 million were registered.
The sample post service will be abolished. Trade samples may be sent by small packet post for which the weight limit is two pounds for all countries, or they may be sent by parcel post, for which the weight limit, for most countries, is 22 pounds.
/The .......• •
Thursday, June 17, 1971
- 3 -
The weight limit of printed papers will be reduced to four pounds,
except for packets of books for which the weight limit will remain at
eleven pounds.
Note to Editors: A comparative table of the existing and new postal
rates is attached (please see page 4)•
Post Office (Amendment) Regulations 1971 giving effect to these changes will be published in the Government Gazette tomorrow•
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EXAMINATION NOTICE
The Director of Education announces that the General Certificate of Exucation examinations conducted by the Education Department as well as those at St. George’s School, which were postponed as a result of Typhoon Freda, will now be held on Saturday (19th June) at 9*30 a.m*
The examination of the Association of Certified and Corporated Accountants which was also postponed will similarly be held on Saturday at 9«3O a.m.
The University of Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English examination will be held on Saturday (19th June) at 2.00 p.m.
These examinations will all be held at the centres originally scheduled.
Details of times and places of other postponed examinations will be announced later.
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4
EXISTING AND NEW INLAND AND OVERSEAS SURFACE
Thursday, June 17, 1971
POSTAGE RATES
Category j Inland i China, Macao, Taiwan British Commonwealth and Irish Republic All other Countries
Weight Step Existing • New Existing New Existing New Existing New
Lh’lTERS 1 oz. 2 oz* 4 oz. 8 oz. 1 lb. 2 lb. 4 lb. .10 .20 .40 .80 1.60 5.20 6.40 .10 .50 .40 .80 1.50 2.50 4.00 .20 .50 .50 .90 1.70 5.50 6.50 .20 .40 .50 1.10 2.10 5.50 5.50 .20 .55 .65 1.25 2.45 4.85 9.65 .50 .60 .75 1.65 5.15 5.25 8.25 .40 •65 1.15 2.15 4.15 8.15 16.15 .5° | .80 1.10 2.50 4.80 7.90 12.70
POSTCARDS .05 .10 .10 .15 .15 •25 .25 •30 [
PRINTED PAPERS 1 oz. 2 oz. 4 oz. 8 oz. 1 lb. 2 lb. 4 lb. Per additional 1OOO g. (2 lb.) (For books only) .05 .10 .15 .25 .45 .85 .10 .15 .20 .40 •75 1.25 .10 .10 .20 .40 .80 1.60 5.20 .15 .20 .25 .50 1.00 1.75 2.75 1.25 .15 •15 .25 .45 .85 1.65 5.25 .25 .50 .40 .65 1.10 1.90 5.20 1.60 .15 .15 .25 .45 .85 1.65 5.25 •25 [ .50 .40 •65 1.10 1.90 3.20 1.60 B
SMALL PACKETS 4 oz. 8 oz. 1 lb. 2 lb. Macau China Taiwan .80 .50 .80 .50 1.40 .80 5.00 1.60 Macau China Taiwan .50 .50 1.00 .50 1.60 .80 2.90 1.60 .80 .80 1.40 5.oo .50 1.00 1.60 2.90 * .80 .80 1.40 5.00 .50 1.00 1.60 2.90
Thursday, June 17, 1971
- 5 -
BUILDING DECLARED DANGEROUS
The Building Authority today (Thursday) declared No. 16 Lun Hing Street, Hong Kong, to be in a dangerous condition.
In a statement issued this morning the Principal Government Building Surveyor said that this single storey pre-war building had been inspected following complaint from a tenant, when it was found that the brick walls were fractured and deteriorated and the roof timbers were badly decayed.
A portion of the roof has already collapsed and accordingly notice of intention to apply for a Closure Order in Victoria District Court, Hong Kong, on June 25, 1971 was posted this morning.
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Release Time: 8«00 p.m.
4000091 P.R.H. 7
HONG KONG GOVERNMENT
Dcyc
NFORMATION SERVICES
DAILY INFORMATION BULLETIN
Friday, June 18, 1971
HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC Legislation To Provide For Establishment
Legislation to provide for the establishment, functions and administration of the Hong Kong Polytechnic will be presented to the Legislative Council on June 2J.
The Hong Kong Polytechnic Bill 1971, published for general information in today’s Gazette, seeks to provide for the establishment of the Polytechnic and states its objects which are to provide for studies, training and research in technology, science, commerce, arts and other subjects of learning.
One clause in the Bill establishes a Board of Governors and constitutes it a body corporate with the usual powers which are enjoyed by such bodies at law, including the power to acquire property, enter into contracts, erect bui 1 di ng.?, approve expenditure, invest funds, borrow money and apply for grant-in-aj.d<
The Bill makes it clear that the Governor in Council may give directions to the Board with regard to the performance of its functions and that the Board must comply with any such directions.
The Board of Governors shall consist of the Director of Education; the Director of the Polytechnic; three members who shall be public officers, appointed by the Governor; and eight members, other than public officers, appointed by the Governor of whom four shall have experience in commerce and industry in Hong Kong. Furthermore, the Governor may appoint two additional members if he so decides.
/The Board ••••••
Friday, June 18, 1971
- 2 -
The Board must submit an annual report on the activities of the Polytechnic and of the auditors’ report of its accounts for the previous year. These reports and statements will be tabled in the Legislative Council.
It may delegate some of its powers to the Director of the Polytechnic as well as fix fees for courses of study and other services and reduce or waive the fees generally or in any particular case.
The Bill also provides for the Board to make rules to regulate its proceedings and those of its committees it is empowered to appoint, and rules to provide for the discipline of employees of the Polytechnic and of the students attending it.
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KOWLOON TSAI SWIMMING POOL CLOSED TO PUBLIC USE
On Sunday, June 20
******
The Kowloon Tsai Swimming Pool will be closed to public use on Sunday, June 20, between 9 a.m. and 12 noon.
During this period, the Royal Life Saving Society (Hong Kong Branch) will be using the pool to hold a swimming party.
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Friday, June 18, 1971
- 3 -
ANTIQUITIES AND MONUMENTS BILL, 1971 Covering Discovery Of Relics In Hong Kong *#*#*«*
The draft Antiquities and Monuments Bill 1971 is published in today’s Government Gazette for the information of the public.
The purpose of the Bill is to establish control over archaeological discoveries in Hong Kong and to ensure that items of historical interest are preserved for the enjoyment of the community.
The Bill proposes that two Authorities should be created, one, the Secretary for Home Affairs, for the urban areas and one, the District Commissioner, New Territories, for the New Territories. Subject to the advice of an Advisory Board these Authorities will have the power to declare sites and buildings to be monuments, subject to the ri^its of property owners and with the approval of the Governor.
All relics discovered in Hong Kong after the commencement of the proposed legislation will belong to the Government, although in practice it would retain only those objects of interest to the public for display in local museums.
Various clauses in the Bill relate to the payment of awards for finds retained by the Government. Other clauses deal with permitted excavations and the control, maintenance and protection of monuments.
A provisional Advisory Board will be appointed soon. Its first task will be to consider in detail the practical implications of the legislation and to assess the views of the general public before the draft bill is considered in Legislative Council.
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Friday, June 18, 1971
- 4 -
FANLING ROTARY YOUTH CENTRE AND HOSTEL Inauguration of Members’ Council *«***««
Mr. Robert Choa, Incoming District Governor of Rotary International’s District 345, will preside at a swearing-in ceremony of office bearers of the Fanling Rotary Youth Centre and Hostel’s new Members’ Council on Sunday, June 20.
The Centre was formerly the Three Nines Club. It was rebuilt with funds provided by Rotary, then handed over to the Social Welfare Department, and opened as a centre and hostel for the young in June, 1967.
Ceremonies on Sunday will also mark the Centre’s fourth anniversary. The former will include a stage performance, a demonstration of Chinese calligraphy, and a fun fair.
Before the swearing-in of office bearers of the Centre’s new Members’ Council, Mr. Kwok Ka-chi, Principal Social Welfare Officer (Group and Community, Operations ) will welcome Mr. Choa and deliver a short speech.
Then prizes won at a recent handicraft and calligraphy competition will be distributed jointly by Mr. H.S. Grewal, District Officer, Tai Po; Mr. Tang Yan, Senior Education Officer; and Mr. Law Chak-tong, chairman of the Fanling Rural Committee.
The Centre’s activities include study and interest groups working at tailoring, judo, and community services along with voluntary agencies in the area.
The hostel section has accommodation for 60, a common room and a study room. Last year, these services were used by 3,189 young people.
Note to editors: You are invited to have the swearing-in ceremony covered.
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Friday, June 18, 1971
- 5 -
POLYTECHNIC PLANNING COMMITTEE
Tribute to Hon. P.Y. Tang
«**««**
A tribute to the late Hon. P.Y. Tang Chairman of the Polytechnic Planning Committee, was paid today by Dr. the Hon. S.Y. Chung, Deputy Chairman, on behalf of all members of the Committee.
Dr. Chung said "It was characteristic of the late Mr. P.Y. Tang that he allowed himself no respite until the tasks which he had voluntarily undertaken in the public service had been completed."
"As Chairman of the Committee," Dr. Chung continued, "Mr. Tang devoted himself tirelessly to laying the foundations of a Polytechnic which would help close the technology-gap between Hong Kong and the world’s most developed countries and which would provide the youth of the Colony with educational opportunities which were relevant to the Seventies.
"Mr. Tang was a visionary who pursued his objectives with a selfless dedication which inspired all those who knew and worked with him to greater efforts.
"He gave unstintingly of his time, his energy, his financial resources and ultimately his health in the service of the community. Without his leadership on the Planning Committee, the foundations of the Polytechnic would never have been so truly or so quickly laid.
"All members of the Committee offer their sincere condolences to Mr. Tang’s family, to his many friends and associates, and to the people of Hong Kong, whose well-being was always his paramount concern."
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/6.......
Friday, June 18, 1971
- 6 -
RECLAMATION AT AP LEI CHAU For Proposed Sewage Treatment Plant *******
Today’s Gazette contains a notice under the Public Reclamations and Works Ordinance of Government’s intention to reclaim an area of approximately 13,700 sq. ft. of Crown foreshore and sea bed off the south west coast of Ap Lei Chau, in connection with a proposed sewage treatment plant.
As a result of an agreement between Government and the Shell Company of Hong Kong Limited, the formation of this reclamation will be carried out by the Company, which is currently involved in the construction of major roadworks and site formation for its proposed oil storage depot on Ap Lei Chau.
The boundaries of the proposed reclamation are fully described in the notice which also stipulates that all persons having any objections to the proposed reclamation or any claims of private right in the matter should submit such objections and or claims in writing to the Director of Public Works within two months of the date of the notice.
This notice, in English and Chinese can also be seen on the notice boards posted on the site.
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Friday, June 18, 1971
- 7 -
WATER INTERRUPTION IN TSIM SHA TSUI AND TSUEN WAN
*******
Water supply to a number of houses in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, and in Tsuen Wan, New Territories, will be interrupted for five hours tomorrow June 19 starting from 1 a.m.
The temporary water stoppage is to enable the Waterworks Office to carry out leakage tests.
The houses affected in the Tsim Sha Tsui area will be those bounded by Kimberley Road, Carnarvon Road and Nathan Road, while those premises affected in Tsuen Wan will be those in the area bounded by Castle Peak Road, Tai Ho Road, Sha Tsui Road and Heung Chi Street.
/ 8......
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Friday, June 18, 1971
8
STEEP RISE IN INDUSTRIAL WAGES And Better Standards Of Living ******
Industrial wages have nearly doubled and the standard of living has risen by nearly 50 per cent in the last seven years. These significant facts are revealed in statistics released today by the Commissioner of Labour, Mr. R.M. Hetherington.
The statistics also showed that there was a record steep rise in wages between March 1970 and March 1971. Between 1964 and 1970, the average yearly increase was about 9 per cent. The increase for the past year was about 18 per cent. These are reflected in the following indices:
March 1964 100
March 1970 163
March 1971 192
Because the cost of living did not rise proportionally, the result was that the standard of living appreciably improved. Between 1964 and 1970, the average yearly increase in real wages was about 5 per cent. The increase for the past year was a record 10 per cent. The relevant indices arc as follows:
March 1964 100
March 1970 132
March 1971 145
Mr. Hetherington said that he expected this information would be challenged.
He went on, "Unless the methods used by the Labour Statistics Unit are studied, misunderstandings will inevitably arise. An important point is that the indices are based on conditions in 1964. Few people can realistically think back to conditions which existed seven years ago. Recollections of standards of living in 1964 fade and are overlaid by more recent memories with higher aspirations and greater expectations.”
/Mr. Hetherington ••••••
Friday, June 18, 1971
- 9 -
Mr. Hetherington said that another important point was that the indices showed over-all averages in selected but key industries and utilities. Wages had risen in them at different rates. He thought that it was highly unlikely that the indices would reflect exactly the position of any single employee.
,fNonetheless,n he went on, ”it is clear that, in recent years, there has been a steady material improvement in the standard of living of the community and that this accelerated noticeably during the past twelve months.”
/ 10.......
Friday, June 18, 1971
- 10 -
RICE QUOTA
For Third Quarter Of 1971
*****
The Commerce & Industry Department announced today that the rice import quota for the third quarter of 1971 had been provisionally fixed at 83,600 metric tons (i.e. 95 per cent of the basic quota of 88,000 tons).
Commenting on the quota, a spokesman for the Department said that rice consumption is usually lower than average in the third quarter of a year because of the warm weather. The slight reduction in the quota takes account of these circumstances.
The Department would keep developments in the rice trade under close review, and might issue a supplementary quota during the quarter should circumstances so warrant, the spokesman said.
In the five months of this year, Hong Kong imported 141,300 metric tons of rice. Of this amount, Thailand supplied 61 per cent and China 31 per cent. The remainder came mainly from Australia, Burma, Cambodia and the U.S.A.
Release time : 5:po p,m.
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