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SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 1983
BILL DORWARD SAYS FAREWELL TO CUSTOMS AND EXCISE
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MR BILL DORWARD, WHO WILL SOON LEAVE FOR THE UNITED STATES TO TAKE UP HIS APPOINTMENT AS HONG KONG TRADE COMMISSIONER, BID FAREWELL THIS MORNING TO THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT WITH WHICH HE HAD BEEN CLOSELY ASSOCIATED FOR 30 YEARS.
+ IN MY FUTURE POST IN THE UNITED STATES THERE IS NO DIRECT LINK TO THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE. BUT AFTER NEARLY 30 YEARS OF ASSOCIATION WITH THE SERVICE IN ITS VARIOUS FORMS AND UNDER ITS OTHER NAMES, IT WILL TAKE MORE THAN TIME, DISTANCE AND OTHER DUTIES TO ERASE MY INTEREST IN ALL OF YOU AND WHAT YOU ARE DOING,+ MR DORWARD SAID, WHEN ADDRESSING A PASSING-OUT PARADE OF 16 INSPECTORS AND 191 CUSTOMS OFFICERS AT THE TAI LAM CHUNG TRAINING SCHOOL.
HE ASSURED THE SERVICE THAT HE WOULD BE HAPPY TO ASSIST IN HIGH LEVEL LIAISON WITH ITS COUNTERPART IN THE UNITED STATES.
CONGRATULATING THE NEW RECRUITS FOR HAVING CHOSEN A CAREER WHICH WOULD BE A CHALLENGE AND A SOURCE OF GREAT SATISFACTION TO THEM, MR DORWARD SAID: +YOU HAVE JOINED THE SERVICE AT AN EXCITING TIME. THE MAIN PART OF A RADICAL RE-ORGANISATION HAS RECENTLY BEEN COMPLETED. THIS NOT ONLY MAKES FOR A MUCH MORE EFFICIENT ORGANISATION, BUT IT ALSO PROVIDES ENHANCED CAREER PROSPECTS FOR EVERY MEMBER OF THE SERVICE AND PARTICULARLY FOR YOU NEWLY RECRUITED OFFICERS.
+THE CHALLENGE TO WHICH I REFERRED IS ONE THAT IS ALWAYS FACED BY CUSTOMS AND EXCISE OFFICIALS. SOME RESPONSIBILITIES BECOME NOTABLY HEAVIER, HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF DEVELOPMENTS ELSEWHERE. RECENT BUMPER OPIUM HARVESTS IN THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE, FOR EXAMPLE, HAVE ADDED TO THE BURDENS OF LAW-ENFORCEMENT IN THE FIGHT AGAINST NARCOTICS.
+THAT THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE SERVICE IS PLAYING ITS FULL ROLE IN THIS FIELD IS DEMONSTRATED BY THE RESULTS IN 1982 - WHEN THE QUANTITIES OF DRUGS SEIZED AND THE RANGE OF CASES COMPLETED WAS AN OUTSTANDING RECORD FOR THE SERVICE,+ MR DORWARD SAID.
HE REMINDED THE OFFICERS THAT THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WITH WHOM THEY CAME INTO CONTACT WOULD ALWAYS BE HONEST AND DECENT.
+THEY CAN AND SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO BE ON YOUR SIDE. IT IS, AFTER ALL, THEIR INTERESTS YOU ARE PROTECTING.
+AS FOR THE OTHERS, YOUR QUARRY, THEY WILL RANGE FROM THE TOURIST WHO TRIES TO BRING IN THAT ONE BOTTLE TOO MANY, TO THE DISGUSTING SCUM WHO DEAL IN HUMAN MISERY BY SMUGGLING NARCOTICS.
+THAT IS A WIDE RANGE, AND YOU MUST LEARN DISCRETION AND TEMPERANCE IN YOUR DEALINGS WITH ALL OF THEM. IT IS FOR YOU TO CATCH THEM, BUT FOR THE COURTS TO PUNISH THEM, + MR DORWARD CONCLUDED.
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