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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1974.
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WHILST IT MAY BE OVER-AMBITIOUS AT THIS STAGE TO UNDERTAKE ANY LARGE SCALE RESEARCH INTO CHINESE HERBS, HE SAID, IT WOULD BE INDEFENSIILE NOT TO BEGIN TO BUILD A RESERVOIR OF SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.+
HE BELIEVED THAT IT WAS NOW RECOGNISED IN WESTERN MEDICAL SCIENCE THAT THE CURATIVE EFFECTS OF CHINESE TRADITIONAL MEDICINES AND TECHNIQUES COULD BE INTERPRETED IN STRICTLY SCIENTIFIC TERMS.
OVER 4,000 PEOPLE PRACTISED TRADITIONAL CHINESE CURES IN HONG KONG, HE NOTED, AND THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE COMMUNITY HAD AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER TAKEN CHINESE HERES IN ONE FORM OR THE OTHERS.
SO FAR, HE ADDED, IT HAD NOT BEEN POSSIBLE TO ESTABLISH ANY STANDARDS SO AS TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE GENUINE ABLE CHINESE HERBALIST FROM ONE LESS ABLE OR INDEED THE OUT AND OUT CHARLATAN, AND WHILE HE DID NOT QUESTION THE WISDOM IN THE PAST OF THE GOVERNMENT'S POSTURE OF NON-INTERFERENCE AS REGARDS THE PRACTICE OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE DUE TO LITTLE KNOWLEDGE ON THE SUBJECT, HE STRONGLY FELT THAT THE TIME HAD NOW COME TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT IT.
POLICY AND THE COMMUNITY
TURNING TO GOVERNMENT POLICY AND THE COMMUNITY, MR. LO NOTED THAT THERE HAD BEEN INSTANCES IN THE PAST YEAR IN WHICH 'THE GOVERNMENT HAD REVERSED ITS EARLIER DECISIONS IN THE FACE OF HEATED OPPOSITION FROM CERTAIN QUARTERS WITHOUT GIVING A FULL PUBLIC EXPLANATION FOR THE ABOUT FACE. HE CITED AS AN EXAMPLE THE RECENT TROUBLE OVER THE FORM OF SHOP TENANCY AGREEMENTS OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
MR. LO STRONGLY QUESTIONED THE WISDOM OF REVERSING OFFICIAL DECISIONS, IF THEY WERE CONSIDERED TO BE CORRECT, STRESSING THAT NO AMOUNT OF AXE-GRINDING RESISTANCE FROM THE IGNORANT OR SELF-SEEKING SHOULD CAUSE THE GOVERNMENT TO GO BACK ON WHAT IT HAS RESOLVED TO DO.+,
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THE REASON WAS PLAIN, HE SAID. +FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO KNUCKLE UNDER MERELY BECAUSE IT MEETS OPPOSITION, IS TO GIVE THE IMPRESSION NOT OF BEING DEMOCRATIC, BUT OF BEING WEAK.
+IT CAN ONLY ENCOURAGE THE UNSCRUPULOUS AND SELF-INTERESTED TO FOMENT OPPOSITION AND STIR UP TROUBLE WHENEVER THEY CAN MAKE CAPITAL CUT OF IT.+
MR. LO DOUBTED THAT GOVERNMENT DECISIONS WERE TAKEN HASTILY OR WITHOUT CAREFUL CONSIDERATION, IN FACT, WITH THE MACHINERY AVAILABLE TO SOUND OUT PUBLIC OPINION AT ALL LEVELS AND EVALUATE REACTION, EVERY DECISION; HE FELT, WOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN WITH THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC AT HEART AND IF HARDSHIP TO SOME COULD NOT BE AVOIDED, DE REASONABLY FAIR TO THAT SECTION OF THE COMMUNITY.
/HOWEVER, HR.