3
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1980
MR AKERS-JONES SAID HE GAVE THIS MERELY AS AN EXAMPLE OF THE CAREFUL WAY WE MUST COMB THROUGH OUR SOCIAL STRUCTURE TO SEARCH OUT THE WEAK, THE LONELY AND THE IGNORED AND TO DEAL WITH THE CAUSES OF CRIME, CORRUPTION, DISEASE AND DIRT.
THIS WAS WHERE THOSE WHO TAUGHT AT CHUNG CHI AND THOSE WHO LEARNED THERE COULD GIVE WISE ADVICE AND COUNSEL, AND, HE HOPED, PARTICIPATE DIRECTLY IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A COMMUNITY+ AT SHA TIN AND IN OUR OTHER NEW TOWNS.
MR AKERS-JONES SAID IN THE PAST DECADE THE PACE OF SOCIAL CHANGE HAD BEEN EXTRAORDINARY IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS THE PACE WOULD QUICKEN AS A RESULT OF UNIVERSAL SECONDARY EDUCATION, ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY, IMPROVED SOCIAL SERVICES, A RISING STANDARD OF LIVING, AND CHANGING ATTITUDES TO FAMILY LIFE.
+MOREOVER, IN THE SPACE OF A FEW YEARS, WE ARE MOVING SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND PEOPLE TO LIVE IN A NEW ENVIRONMENT IN OUR NEW TOWNS MOVEMENT ON A SCALE THAT HAS, SO FAR AS I KNOW, NEVER BEFORE BEEN ATTEMPTED ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD.+
HE SAID: IT IS DIFFICULT TO GRASP THE HUMAN REALITY BEHIND THE NUMBERS AND THE MASSES OF STATISTICS THAT ARE AN ESSENTIAL PART OF PUBLIC RELATIONS AND A COMFORTING RECORD OF ACHIEVEMENT AND MATERIAL PROGRESS:
+THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HOMELESS, THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HOUSED- MILLIONS OF DOLLARS SPENT PERCENTAGE GROWTH IN TRAFFIC- YEARS OF EDUCATION- BEDS- PLACES DAY-EQUIVALENT-STUDENTS, AND SO ON.+
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE FIGURES AND THE MASSES OF CONCRETE, IT IS EASY AND JUSTIFIABLE TO SPEAK WITH A MEASURE OF PRIDE OF THE MATERIAL CITY WE ARE BUILDING ON YOUR DOORSTEP. BUT ARE WE GIVING ENOUGH THOUGHT TO THE INDIVIDUALS AND THE COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE WHO WILL INHABIT IT? MR AKERS-JONES ASKED.
'THANK-YOU' RECEPTION FOR HK FESTIVAL CONTRIBUTORS
****
MR ALAN SCOTT, SECRETARY FOR INFORMATION, TODAY COMMENDED THE LOCAL COMMUNITY FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO THE SUCCESS OF THE HONG KONG IN LONDON FESTIVAL HELD IN BATTERSEA PARK, LONDON ON SEPTEMBER 20 AND 21.
ACCORDING TO BRITISH PRESS REPORTS, OVER 750 000 PEOPLE ATTENDED THE FESTIVAL, 250 000 ON THE FIRST DAY AND 500 000 ON THE SECOND. IT IS VERY UNUSUAL FOR SUCH A BIG TURN-OUT AT PROMOTIONAL FUNCTIONS OF THIS TYPE IN LONDON.
SPEAKING AT A THANK-YOU' RECEPTION FOR THE FESTIVAL CONTRIBUTORS HELD IN THE INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT THEATRE MR SCOTT SAID, WITHOUT THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, THE FESTIVAL WOULD NOT HAVE SEEN POSSIBLE.+
ORIGINAL