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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13, 1975
HE WAS CLAD THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHARED THE UNOFFICIALS' CONCERN IN THIS IMPORTANT ASPECT OF COMMUNITY INTEREST AND HE WELCOMED THE GOVERNMENT'S ASSURANCE THAT ADEQUATE LEGISLATION COULD BE DEVISED AND WOULD BE ENFORCED TO MINIMIZE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SPECULATION BY SMALL INVESTORS.
ANOTHER UNOFFICIAL MEMBER, THE HON. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN, WHO HAD SPUKEN AGAINST THE MUTION ON AN EARLIER OCCASION, SAID HE WOULD NOT NOW OPPOSE THE PROPOSED, EXCHANGE +AS IT COULD BE AN INSTITUTION WITH REGIONAL AND EVEN INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE.+
HE ADDED: +HOWEVER, I HOPE THAT THE GOVERNMENT WILL KEEP ITS ECONOMIC PRIORITIES IN PROPER PERSPECTIVE, AS THE AVERAGE INDUSTRIALIST OR BUSINESSMAN IN HONG KONG IS MORE CONCERNED THAT THE GOVERNMENT DO MOKE - AND BE SEEN TO DE DOING MCRE DOWN HONG KONG LIVING COSTS, ESPECIALLY RENTS, AND TO MAKE NONG
TO KEEP KONG EXPORT PRODUCTS MORE SÁLEADLE AND COMPETITIVE AGAINST SIMILAR PRODUCTS FROM TAIWAN AND SOUTH KOREA,
+AS LONG AS THE GOVERNMENT CAN DEMONSTRATE THAT IT IS COING ALL-OUT TO REVIVE THE HONG KONG ECONOMY SO THAT OUR EXPORT FRODUCTS WILL HOLD THEIR OWN ON THE WORLD MARKETS, AND AS LONG AS THE GOVERNMENT CAN ENSURE THAT THE COMMODITY EXCHANGE WILL BE OF ECONOMIC VALUE TO HONG KONG AS A WHOLE, THEN THE PULLIC'S CONCERN THAT THE COMMODITY EXCHANGE CAN DE GROSSLY MANIPULATED AGAINST THE PUBLIC INTEREST WILL HAVE BECOME LESS ACUTE.
+ IN THIS RESPECT, WE CAN DUT BE VIGILANT AND WARY, AND ENSURE THAT THE GOVERNMENT SEEKS TO PROTECT FIRST AND FOREMOST THE INTERESTS OF THE MAN-IN-THE-STREET RATHER THAN ANY NARROW VESTED INTERESTS IN HONG KONG,+ SAID MR. CHEONG-LEEN.
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