TUESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1976
DISTRICT OFFICE SYSTEM + INADEQUATE FOR TSUEN WAN *******
THE GOVERNMENT HAD APPOINTED A TOWN MANAGER IN TSUEN WAN BECAUSE THE TRADITIONAL DISTRICT OFFICE SYSTEM WAS INADEQUATE TO COPE WITH THE RAPID EXPANSION OF THE NEW TOWN, THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR. DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID TODAY.
BUT HE STRESSED THAT THIS DID NOT MEAN THAT THE TRADITIONAL RURAL COMMITTEES WERE BEING DOWNGRADED, BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT RECOGNISED THAT THEY HAD A VERY SPECIAL CONTRIBUTION TO MAKE.
ADDRESSING A MEETING OF THE SOUTH KOWLOON LIONS CLUB, MR. AKERS-JONES SPOKE OF A +FERMENT OF ACTIVITY IN THE NEW TERRITORIES AIMED AT MEETING THE GOVERNMENT'S HOUSING PROGRAMME TARGETS.
THIS WOULD LEAD TO THE NEW TERRITORIES HAVING A POPULATION OF 2-1/2 MILLION BY 1986 - SIX TIMES THE RECORDED POPULATION OF HALF A MILLION IN 1961.
HE SAID: +IN THIS SITUATION, WITH SO MUCH TO DO SO QUICKLY THE CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PEOPLE ARE CLEARLY OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE.
+SO FAR TSUEN WAN HAS CHANGED AND GROWN MORE THAN ANY OTHER PLACE, BUT IT IS STILL PART OF THE AREA COVERED BY THE RURAL COMMITTEE SYSTEM.
+CLEARLY. THAT SYSTEM ON ITS OWN COULD NOT COPE WITH ALL THE PROBLEMS AND HOPES AND FEARS OF TSUEN WAN'S HALF A MILLION PEOPLE.
+NEVERTHELESS, THE RURAL COMMITTEE LEADERS, BY REASON OF THEIR LONG ASSOCIATION WITH TSUEN WAN AND BECAUSE THEY HAVE GROWN UP WITH THE PROBLEMS OF ITS PEOPLE, HAVE A SPECIAL CONTRIBUTION TO MAKE AND THIS IS RECOGNISED BY THE GOVERNMENT.
MR. AKERS-JONES SAID THAT AT HIS MEETING WITH THE HEUNG YEE KUK LAST WEEK, HE HAD BEEN ASKED TO EXPLAIN THE RECENT APPOINTMENT OF THE TOWN MANAGER AT TSUEN WAN.
HE HAD POINTED OUT THAT TSUEN WAN'S POPULATION HAD ALREADY REACHED HALF A MILLION, BUT THE OLD DISTRICT OFFICE WAS PREOCCUPIED WITH THE PROBLEMS OF DEVELOPMENT AND LAND ADMINISTRATION, AND
INSUFFICIENT ATTENTION WAS BEING PAID TO THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE.
//*THERE WAS NO ORGANISATION AT WORK COMPARABLE IN STRENGTH TO
THE CITY DISTRICT OFFICES,+ HE SAID.
+WE ARE NOW CORRECTING THIS. TSUEN WAN WILL HAVE THE SAME SORT OF LOCAL OFFICES AT THE SERVICE OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE A FAMILIAR SIGHT IN KOWLOON AND HONG KONG.+
/THE GOVERNMENT