TUESDAY, JULY 21, 1981
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+SOMETIMES THE PEOPLE OF A PLACE THEMSELVES DECIDE THAT THEY NEED SOMETHING WHICH GOVERNMENT IS NOT GOING TO PROVIDE AND WHICH THEY WANT TO BUILD FOR THEIR OWN BENEFIT BY THEIR OWN ENTERPRISE.+
GOOD EXAMPLES WERE THE SPORTS CENTRES, ONE OF WHICH HAD ALREADY BEEN BUILT AT YUEN LONG, AND TWO OF WHICH WERE BEING CONSTRUCTED AT TUEN MUN AND TAI PO, ONE COSTING $35 MILLION AND THE OTHER $12 MILLION.
+THERE ARE SCORES OF ORGANISATIONS WHICH CAME INTO BEING AS A RESULT OF PRIVATE INITIATIVE AND DONATIONS, AND WHICH RECEIVE SUBSTANTIAL HELP FROM THE GOVERNMENT BUT WHICH STILL RELY FOR THEIR INNER STRENGTH AND INDEPENDENT SPIRIT ON PRIVATE DONATIONS AND PUBLIC SUPPORT, HE SAID.
+OF COURSE ONE CAN LOOK ON ALL THIS IN A PURELY CYNICAL WAY AND REGARD GIVING AS GRATITUDE FOR OUR LOW LEVEL OF TAXATION, A KIND OF CONSCIENCE PAYMENT, A THANKS-OFFERING.
+BUT THERE IS MORE TO IT THAN THAT.
+HERE IN HONG KONG THE INDIVIDUAL HAS GREAT FREEDOM TO PURSUE HIS OWN AFFAIRS AS HE PLEASES AND SOCIETY, THE COLLECTION OF INDIVIDUALS, HAS A SIMILAR FREEDOM TO PURSUE ITS AFFAIRS WITH MINIMUM INTERFERENCE BY AUTHORITY.
+BUT, JUST AS INDIVIDUALS WE GUARD OUR HEALTH, SO AS A GROUP WE HAVE A COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THE HEALTH AND HAPPINESS OF ALL PARTS OF SOCIETY, FOR, IF ONE PART IS NEGLECTED, IT CAN SICKEN AND INFECT THE WHOLE.
+GIVING, SERVICE TO OTHERS AND CHARITY ARE AN ESSENTIAL COROLLARY OF THE FREEDOM WE ENJOY AS INDIVIDUALS.
BUT THERE WAS MORE TO GIVING THAN SELF-INTEREST, MORE TO KEEPING SOCIETY HEALTHY THAN SELF-PRESERVATION.
+WE DERIVE OUR STRENGTH FROM COUNTLESS ORGANISATIONS SUCH AS YOURS, WHICH BIND OUR COMMUNITY TOGETHER IN A SPIRIT OF SERVICE, IN A COMMON DETERMINATION TO IMPROVE AND PROGRESS, REFORM AND INNOVATE.
+SOCIETY IS A LIVING ORGANISM AND HELP TO ONE ANOTHER AN ESSENTIAL PART OF OUR LIFE AS INDIVIDUALS AND AS MEMBERS OF SOCIETY, MR AKERS-JONES SAID.
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