15
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1981
WHILE AGREEING THAT THE GOVERNOR WOULD BE WELL-INFORMED ON IMPORTANT ISSUES OF TERRITORY-WIDE IMPLICATIONS, MR YEUNG NOTED MANY LOCAL ISSUES, THOUGH MINOR IN THE EYES OF SOME GOVERNMENT SECRETARIES AND DEPARTMENTS, WERE NONETHELESS VERY IMPORTANT AND URGENT TO A PARTICULAR DISTRICT OR COMMUNITY.
AND THE FAILURE TO ADDRESS GOVERNMENT EFFORT TO SUCH ISSUES TIMELY COULD HAVE PROFOUND POLITICAL AND SOCIAL REPERCUSSIONS.
+THESE LOCAL ISSUES BY THEIR VERY MINOR NATURE WILL NOT FE BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE GOVERNOR UNLESS SOMEONE IS CHARGED WITH THE DUTY TO DO SO.
+ IT IS, THEREFORE, A DEFINITE ADVANTAGE, IF NOT A MUST, TO HAVE DEPUTY GOVERNORS TO UNDERTAKE AND PERFORM THE ONEROUS AND TIME-CONSUMING SOCIO-POLITICAL FUNCTIONS SO AS TO BRING THE PEOPLE CLOSER TO THE GOVERNMENT.+
MR YEUNG SUGGESTED INITIALLY IT WAS BETTER TO HAVE TWO DEPUTY GOVERNORS - ONE FOR THE URBAN AREA AND ONE FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES +SO THAT HE MAY CONCENTRATE ON PLANNING THE DEVELOPMENT, TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS AND TO GUIDE THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION WITH APPROPRIATE RESPONSIVENESS TO THE DICTATE OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES PECULIAR TO EACH TERRITORY THROUGH THE
IMPORTANT BUT DIFFICULT FORMATIVE STAGE+.
HE POINTED OUT THAT THE CREATION OF SUCH SOCIO-POLITICAL DEPUTY GOVERNORS WOULD NOT UPSET THE USUAL PATTERN OF CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION AND IMPAIR THE USUAL PROCESS OF CHECKS AND BALANCES.
+THE SOCIO-POLITICAL DEPUTY GOVERNORS HAVE NO POWER PER SE AND THEY ARE AS POWERFUL AS THE GOVERNOR WOULD LIKE THEM TO BE AND THEY CAN ONLY DO WHAT THE GOVERNOR WOULD LIKE THEM TO DO ON HIS BEHALF AND NO MORE.
+ THE USUAL PATTERN OF ADMINISTRATION IS, THEREFORE, NOT DISTURBED.
+THE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY OF PROVIDING CHECKS AND BALANCES TO THE ADMINISTRATION IS WITH THE GOVERNOR AND AS FAR AS THE ADMINISTRATION DIRECTLY AFFECTING LOCAL INHABITANTS IS CONCERNED, THE ASSISTANCE OF THE SOCIO-POLITICAL DEPUTY GOVERNORS WILL STRENGTHEN THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE GOVERNOR IN THE FULL SPECTRUM OF CHECKS AND BALANCES IN THE ADMINISTRATION, HE SAID.
MR YEUNG THEN SPOKE ON THE MANNER 13M OF THE CFFICIALS.
HE FELT THAT NO MATTER HOW PERFECT WAS THE SYSTEM AND HOW HIGH THE QUALITY OF THE ADMINISTRATORS, THE STANDARD OF THE END PRODUCT STILL DEPENDED UPON THE MANNER OF THE PERSONS RUNNING THE SYSTEM.
UNFORTUNATELY, GLAR ING EXAMPLES OF SUCH HUMAN WEAKNESS WERE FOUND THOUGH IN DIMINISHING SCALE WITHIN EVERY STRATUM OF OUR CIVIL SERVICE.
/4G000 MER