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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1986
SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES
TRIBUTE BY ACTING GOVERNOR
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+ HONOURABLE MEMBERS,
+YESTERDAY, HONG KONG SAID FAREWELL TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR SIR EDWARD YOUDE. TODAY, WE GATHER TO REMEMBER THE WISE, FRIENDLY AND PATIENT MAN WHO WAS PRESIDENT OF THIS COUNCIL AND GUIDED HONG KONG AND THIS COUNCIL THROUGH FOUR TURBULENT AND EVENTFUL YEARS.
+ WHEN HE TOOK OFFICE ON MAY 20, 1982, AS THE 26TH GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD SAID THAT HE WOULD DO HIS UTMOST TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE WELFARE AND PROSPERITY OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AND TO MAKING THE FUTURE OF THIS TERRITORY A BRIGHT ONE'.
+HE SPOKE THESE WORDS WHEN DARK CLOUDS OF UNCERTAINTY HAD GATHERED ABOUT OUR ECONOMY AND ABOUT OUR ABILITY TO SUSTAIN THE MAJOR PROGRAMMES OF IMPROVEMENT THAT HAD BEEN STARTED IN THE YEARS BEFORE AND ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THIS VERY SPECIAL PLACE.
+TODAY WE CAN SEE FROM THE EVIDENCE AROUND US, IN THE STREETS, THE SHOPPING MALLS, THE FACTORIES, HOUSING ESTATES, SCHOOLS, UNIVERSITIES, HOSPITALS, CONCERT HALLS, PLAYGROUNDS AND COUNTRY PARKS HOW WELL THOSE AMBITIONS HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED.
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+ IN HIS FIRST POLICY SPEECH TO THIS COUNCIL IN OCTOBER 1982, HE CLEARLY SET OUT THE OBJECTIVES OF HIS GOVERNORSHIP TO BE RESPONSIVE TO THE PUBLIC WILL TO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT WHICH WOULD ENCOURAGE DRIVE AND ENTERPRISE, REGULATING ONLY WHERE THE ORDERLY CONDUCT OF BUSINESS, FAIR TREATMENT OF THE WORK FORCE AND THE GOOD NAME OF HONG KONG REQUIRE; TO PROVIDE THE 1NFRASTRUCTURE TO ENABLE MODERN TECHNIQUES TO DEVELOP TO BE A GOVERNMENT CONCERNED WITH THE WELFARE OF THE PEOPLE AND TO ACHIEVE ALL THESE IN A SOCIETY IN WHICH THE RIGHTS OF THE INDIVIDUAL ARE RESPECTED AND WHERE LAW AND ORDER CAN PREVAIL'.
+HE SET ABOUT THESE TASKS IN A CHARACTERISTIC STEADY AND UNASSUMING MANNER, QUIETLY ADDRESSING THE PROBLEMS AND, BY HIS HIGH EXAMPLE, INSPIRING US ALL TO ACHIEVE THESE OBJECTIVES.
+SIR EDWARD CAME AT A TIME OF WORLD ECONOMIC RECESSION WHEN IN HONG KONG BANKS WERE FAILING, BUSINESS HOUSES WERE UNDERMINED AND COLLAPSING AND WHEN THIS GOVERNMENT'S REVENUES DROPPED INTO DEFICIT.
+SIR EDWARD RESPONDED TO THESE INAUSPICIOUS BEGINNINGS BY VIGOROUSLY DEFENDING HONG KONG'S ECONOMIC INTERESTS AT HOME AND ABROAD.
/+ABROAD, HE