TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1981
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DISTRICT SCHEME HELPS SOCIAL SERVICE PROVISION
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THE DIRECTOR OF HOME AFFAIRS, MR GRAHAM BARNES SAID TODAY (TUESDAY) THAT WITH THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION SCHEME THE OVERALL EXPANSION OF SOCIAL SERVICES, THE RATE OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT AND THE PROVISION OF RECREATIONAL FACILITIES WOULD NEED TO BE FASTER.
AND THIS MIGHT HAVE SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON GOVERNMENT'S OVERALL EXPENDITURE, HE TOLD THE JOINT DINNER ZONE II OF THE LIONS CLUB INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT 303 THIS EVENING.
MR BARNES SAID HE BELIEVED MOST OF THE PROBLEMS AND POSSIBLE CONFLICTS BETWEEN DISTRICT BOARDS AND GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS WOULD BE RELATED TO TIMING AND DELAYS IN THE PROVISION OF SOCIAL SERVICES WHICH WERE MOST LACKING IN EACH AREA.
HE SAID THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT WOULD FIND ITSELF UNDER CONSIDERABLE PRESSURE TO SPEED UP THESE PROVISIONS,
MR BARNES STRESSED THAT THE NEW DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION SCHEME WAS A BIG STEP WHICH GOVERNMENT WAS TAKING IN THIS FIELD.
AND IT WAS A BIGGER STEP IN THE URBAN AREAS THAN IT WAS IN THE NEW TOWNS WHERE THE DISTRICT OFFICER SYSTEM HAD ALREADY BEEN GRADUALLY EXPANDED INTO A SYSTEM OF DISTRICT MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES AND BOARDS.
+ IN THE URBAN AREA THE DISTRICT-BASED SYSTEM IS BEING EXPANDED FROM THE RELATIVELY HUMBLE CITY DISTRICT OFFICE TO A FULLY-FLEDGED AND HALF ELECTED BOARD IN A PERIOD OF TWO YEARS.
+THIS BY GOVERNMENT STANDARDS IS FAIRLY SPEEDY EVOLUTION, + HE ADDED.
MR BARNES PRAISED THE LIONS CLUBS FOR THE IR MAGN IF ICENT TRADITION OF PUBLIC SERVICE AND SAID THAT THEY HAD STRONG INTERESTS, BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE, IN PARTICIPATING IN DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS.
+! UNDERSTAND THE LIONS CLUBS AS SUCH DO NOT FUNCTION AS POLITICAL ORGANISATIONS, AND THEY ARE CERTAINLY WISE TO AVOID SO DOING.
+BUT IT IS NOT ONLY A VERY WIDE OPPORTUNITY OF PUBLIC SERVICE, BUT ALSO VITAL TO THE COMMUNITY AND INDEED THE INDIVIDUAL'S INTEREST IN THE FUTURE, HE SAID.
+SO IT IS VERY MUCH A LION'S JOB.+
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