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2.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1974.
HONG KONG, HE WENT ON, HAD A LONG TRADITION OF REASONABLE GOVERNMENT MAINTAINED LARGELY BECAUSE OF A REASONABLE POPULATION. +IF THIS DESIRABLE RELATIONSHIP IS TO MAINTAINED -- AND IT IS ESSENTIAL FOR OUR HAPPINESS AND PROSPERITY THAT IT SHOULD BE -- THE GOVERNMENT MUST BE PREPARED TO LISTEN, AND SOMETIMES MODIFY, ITS POLICIES TO ACCORD WITH POPULAR DEMAND.+
WHILE THIS MIGHT BE INTERPRETED AS A SIGN OF WEAKNESS, SUCH PRESSURES WERE INEVITABLE BECAUSE HONG KONG WAS A FREE SOCIETY IN WHICH OPINIONS MAY BE OPENLY EXPRESSED, AND THIS WAS TO BE ENCOURAGED HE SAID.
HE STRESSED, HOWEVER, THAT IF THIS KIND OF LIBERAL SOCIETY WAS TO CONTINUE, THERE MUST BE A LIMIT BEYOND WHICH A CITIZEN MUST NOT SEEK OR BE PERMITTED TO GO. WHILE HE WAS FREE TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETINGS UNDER PROPERLY CONTROLLED CONDITIONS AND MAKE USE OF THE MEDIA TO DISSEMINATE HIS VIEWS, HE MUST NEVER GO BEYOND PEACEFUL MEANS AND PERSUASIVE PROCESSES OR INCONVENIENCE THE COMMUNITY.
+NOR MUST HE BE ALLOWED TO THINK THAT HE CAN CHANGE GOVERNMENT POLICY BY THREATS, ILLEGALITY OR VIOLENCE,+ MR. ROBERTS SAID, STRESSING THAT +THIS GOVERNMENT WILL NOT TOLERATE CONDUCT WHICH ENDANGERS THE STABILITY OF OUR SOCIETY.+
ON THE CIVIL SERVICE, THE COLONIAL SECRETARY SAID IT WAS REALISED THAT THE SERVICE COULD BE IMPROVED AND +WE ARE NOT IGNORANT OF THE PROBLEMS WHICH OUR FAILURE TO DECIDE THINGS QUICKLY IMPOSES ON MEMBERS OF THE TRADING AND BUSINESS COMMUNITY.· +
HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS, HE SAID, WILL COME UNDER INCREASING PRESSURE TO LOOK AT THEIR ACTIVITIES FROM A PRODUCTIVITY POINT OF VIEW IN FUTURE AND CONSIDERATION WAS BEING GIVEN TO WHAT FORM OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT ORGANISATION SHOULD BE DEVELOPED TO MONITOR THE WORK OF DEPARTMENTS TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE GIVING VALUE FOR MONEY.
THE GOVERNMENT WAS NOW STARTING TO PREPARE A FEW ANNUAL OPERATING PLANS WHICH AIM TO IMPOSE COST EFFECTIVENESS BY RELATING EXPENDITURE TO RESULTS. AS ENVISAGED IN THE MCKINSEY REPORT, THE PLANS ARE DESIGNED TO ENSURE THAT COST EFFECTIVENESS METHODS ARE APPLIED TO THE ACTIVITIES OF GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS IN ROUGHLY THE SAME WAY AS IT IS APPLIED IN COMMERCIAL LIFE.
MR. ROBERTS WAS DOUBTFUL THAT REALLY SIGNIFICIANT RESULTS COULD BE ACHIEVED IN ANOTHER YEAR OR TWO, +BUT WE SHALL PUSH AHEAD WITH THE PREPARATION OF THESE PLANS AS BEST WE CAN.+
ON POPULATION CONTROL, THE COLONIAL SECRETARY SAID ENCOURAGEMENT OF FAMILY PLANNING WAS NOT ENOUGH BY ITSELF AND FURTHER MEASURES MUST BE TAKEN TO DISCOURAGE THE GROWTH OF POPULATION.
A WORKING PARTY HAD BEEN SET UP, HE SAID, AND ITS REPORT WAS EXPECTED TO BE PRESENTED TO THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL IN THE FAIRLY NEAR FUTURE, OUTLINING THE APPROACH TO BE TAKEN IN FORMULATING A POPULATION POLICY,
THE COLONIAL
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