MONDAY, MARCH 24, 1980
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TSUEN WAN TOWN MANAGER GIVES ANNUAL TALK TO LOCAL LEADERS
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UNDER OUR EXISTING CONSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM LOCAL OFFICIALS WERE OBLIGED TO PERFORM MANY CIVIC DUTIES THAT IN OTHER COUNTRIES WOULD OFTEN BE CARRIED OUT BY POLITICIANS.
THE TOWN MANAGER TSUEN WAN, MR JAMES HAYES, SAID THIS TODAY (MONDAY) AT THE ANNUAL TSUEN WAN DISTRICT LUNCH FOR LOCAL LEADERS AND GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS.
MR HAYES SAID THERE WERE SOME DISADVANTAGES IN THIS OVER-RELIANCE ON OFFICIALS WHO HAD A FULL ADMINISTRATIVE WORKLOAD AND WERE ALSO SUBJECT TO REGULAR TRANSFER.
THE IR
HE SAID THERE WAS ALSO CONTINUED OVER-RELIANCE ON A SMALL BODY OF APPOINTED UNOFFICIALS IN THE BUSINESS OF GOVERNMENT. SERVICE TO GOVERNMENT WAS DIRECT AND GREATLY VALUED, BUT THE IR CONTRIBUTION TO THE PUBLIC GOOD WAS LESS EASY TO COMMUNICATE. +THIS IS NOT THEIR FAULT, THOUGH TO BE FAIR THE SYSTEM IS ONLY A FEW YEARS OLD.
MR HAYES SAID, IN THE TRADITIONAL CHINESE CITY, WORKING THROUGH ASSOCIATIONS AND A BODY OF LOCAL LEADERS WAS THE MEANS BY WHICH MUCH OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT WAS CARRIED ON. IN THIS PROCESS THE OFFICIALS PLAYED A PROMINENT PART, SHARING IN THE LOCAL FUNCTIONS AND EVENTS +JUST AS WE DO TODAY.+ WE WERE HOWEVER IN A DIFFERENT AGE AND SITUATION. COULD THE ADMINISTRATION AND SERVICE DEPARTMENTS GO ALONG IN THE SAME CHANNELS TODAY?
+ SUPPOSE, MR HAYES SAID, THE BEST ANSWER TO THIS MUST
REALLY COME FROM THE PEOPLE.
+ IF THE PRESENT PARTNERSHIP IS EFFICIENT AND PROVIDES SCOPE FOR THE REALIZATION OF THE IR AMBITIONS FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR CHILDREN, THEY MAY NOT WISH TO BOTHER ABOUT WIDER LOCAL REPRESENTATION BUT BE CONTENT TO LEAVE LIAISON WITH GOVERNMENT AND PARTICIPATION IN ITS ACTIVITIES TO A RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBER OF PERSONS WITH A LIKING FOR ASSOCIATION WORK AND THE BUSINESS OF LOCAL ADMINISTRATION.
+THIS SEEMS TO BE THE PREVAILING MOOD- BUT WE SHOULD BE ALIVE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF CHANGE.+
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