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CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION
Reports 2 and 3 of the Standing Commission on Civil Service Salaries and Conditions of Service; the Report of the UMELCO Police Group 1979; Reports of the Director of Audit and the Public Accounts Committee; career pamphlets for university graduates, graduates of the Hong Kong Polytechnic and registered post-secondary colleges, matricul- ants and school-leavers; instruction booklets for the 1981 Census; and the KCR Rule Book.
The division also continued to sponsor a youth cultural and arts competition that in- cluded contests in Chinese translation, writing, speech-making, inter-school debate, calli- graphy and painting, and radio quizzes on knowledge of Chinese philosophy, culture and literature. The objective of these contests was to promote a greater interest in the study of the Chinese language and culture, and to raise the standard of Chinese among the younger members of the community.
New Territories Administration
The New Territories is administered as an integral part of Hong Kong, but in a different way from the urban areas of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. The New Territories comes under a district office system with the district officer largely drawing his authority from his responsibilities as a land officer.
The system has been modified to keep pace with changing times. These changes have become more evident in the past few years with the development of six new towns which will house more than two and a half million people, smaller-scale public development in various rural areas, and considerable private development. The six new towns are Tsuen Wan, Tuen Mun, Sha Tin, Yuen Long, Tai Po and the Fanling - Sheung Shui – Shek Wu Hui region. It is planned to build another at Junk Bay.
Since 1974, the New Territories Administration has been headed by a secretary who has the overall responsibility for co-ordinating all government activities in the New Ter- ritories, particularly those relating to development, community building and services, land, and security.
Traditional links between the government and the people are maintained through rural leaders elected to the 27 rural committees of the New Territories. These rural leaders form the nucleus of the Heung Yee Kuk, a statutory body which advises the government on New Territories' matters. However, the rapidly changing character of the region has brought with it the need for new urban-based organisations such as mutual aid committees, Fight Crime committees, and groups with interests in the arts, recreation and sport, and a host of other community activities.
In 1977, the traditional rural and newer, urban-based organisations were brought together in each administrative district to form district advisory boards. These boards have a majority of unofficial members representing a cross-section of each local community. They advise the government on all matters affecting the well-being of their communities and have funds to promote cultural and sporting activities, and to implement minor environ- mental improvements. The boards have made an impact, and the response to their initia- tives and activities has been very encouraging. Proposals on the direction in which these boards are to develop in future are contained in the Green Paper A Pattern of District Administration in Hong Kong.
The shape and style of the New Territories Administration has also changed. In 1976, the post of district officer at Tsuen Wan - where there is now a population of nearly 700,000 was changed to town manager with special responsibilities to promote and encourage community involvement.
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