24
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1980
IN SUPPORTING THE NEED TO CONTINUE
AND INDEED ACCELERATE
THE RATE OF DEVELOPMENT, MR NEWBIGGING OFFERED TWO RECOMMENDATIONS.
FIRST. HE SAID, WE MUST GIVE DUE WEIGHT TO TIMELINESS, AS WELL AS AVOIDING EXPENSIVE MISTAKES, IN MAKING DECISIONS ON SUCH ISSUES.
HE SUGGESTED THAT JUDGEMENT SHOULD BE APPLIED TO MAJOR DEVELOPMENT DECISIONS WITH WHICH WE CURRENTLY ARE, OR SOON WILL BE, CONFRONTED.
+OBVIOUSLY WE MUST OBTAIN THE ADVICE OF EXPERTS, BUT WE MUST BE WARY OF POSTPONING DECISIONS SO LONG THAT THE PROBLEMS WE ARE TRYING TO SOLVE GROW TO THE POINT THAT THEY WILL NOT YIELD TO ANY OF THE CHOICES CONTEMPLATED.+
HE REMINDED DECISION-MAKERS OF A MAXIM: +WHEN YOU'RE UP TO YOUR EARS IN ALLIGATORS, REMEMBER THAT THE ORIGINAL OBJECTIVE WAS TO DRAIN THE SWAMP+.
SECONDLY, IN AN ENVIRONMENT AS RESTRICTED AS HONG KONG, WE MUST AIM FÖR PRODUCTIVITY AS MUCH AS QUANTITY.
+WE ARE INCLINED TO THINK OF PRODUCTIVITY IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF TOYS, GARMENTS OR DIGITAL WATCHES A WORKER CAN PRODUCE HOWEVER THE PRODUCTIVITY RELATING TO THE FACILITIES AND SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE GOVERNMENT IS JUST AS IMPORTANT.
*THERE ARE FEW BETTER ILLUSTRATIONS OF THIS THAN THE FIELD OF TRANSPORT.
+WITHOUT QUESTION WE NEED MORE ROADS, BRIDGES, FLYOVERS AND TUNNELS, WHILE REALISING THAT THE PRACTICAL LIMITS OF SUCH DEVELOPMENT MAY STILL BE SOME WAY OFF, OBTAINING THE OPTIMUM USE OF THESE SCARCE RESOURCES ASSUMES EVER-INCREASING IMPORTANCE.+
MR NEWBIGGING STRESSED THAT HIS PURPOSE WAS NOT TO ARGUE FOR A PARTICULAR MECHANISM TO ACHIEVE THIS.
A VARIETY OF IDEAS HAVE BEEN PUT INTO PRACTICE WITH VARYING DEGREES OF SUCCESS IN OTHER ASIAN CITIES, EACH OF WHICH HAS ITS OWN PARTICULAR PROBLEMS.
+BUT ONE THING IS CERTAIN: MORE ROADS OR NOT, IN THE ABSENCE OF IMAGINATIVE POLICY INITIATIVES SOON, THE INEXORABLE GROWTH OF TRAFFIC - ITSELF A PRODUCT OF OUR SUCCESS COULD WELL PROVE THE CAUSE OF OUR UNDOING,+ HE SAID.
TURNING HIS ATTENTION TO THE CLEANLINESS OF HONG KONG, MR NEWBIGGING BELIEVED MUCH COULD BE ACHIEVED BY MORE EFFECTIVE LAW ENFORCEMENT.
/+CNCE AGAIN