1
Review
PROGRESS
LAST year's review ended by forecasting that
'the people of Hong Kong will continue to overcome whatever they may have to face and, with their inimitable energy, will drive Hong Kong on to new peaks of prosperity and progress.' Such peaks were indeed scaled in 1968. The Colony's progress in many sectors was so remarkable that there was again the familiar talk of a 'boom year'. Once again Hong Kong people demonstrated that they belong to a resilient, adaptable, and courageous community which can surmount the severest obstacles and emerge with credit from situations of difficulty. Morale rose higher and confidence in the future became all the stronger for the brushing aside of adversity, as all who know Hong Kong well would, indeed, have expected.
Characteristic of 1968 was a livelier public discussion of the problems which were still to be overcome. In the press, on the radio and on television, there was more debate than in the past on a wide variety of public issues. While some solutions were advocated which were clearly beyond immediate means, other suggestions were valu- able and stimulating-and not only to the civil service. Debates in the Legislative Council became a typical instead of an infrequent feature of the council's business, with supplementary questions, adjournment debates, and impromptu interventions also more common. Urban Council proceedings also continued to be lively. When freedom of speech was under pressure in so many parts of the world, this liberty was one Hong Kong people were making more and more use of, and using with increasing vigour and so- phistication.
Nevertheless, in spite of the greatly improved atmosphere, agita- tion by communist supporters continued on a number of issues, although in a minor key, in an endeavour to enlist support for an unpopular cause by attempting to exploit any grievance that could