Sect. file No.4/5091/49.
No./25
GOVERNMENT HOUSE,
13 78
HONG KONG.
it 14
November, 1950.
Sir,
12
Enclosures Nos.
1 & 2.
I have the honour to refer to your despatch No.216 of the 19th August, 1950, on the subject of Social Welfare in Hong Kong, and to your appreciation of the local difficulties which have affected the furtherance of the planning or implementation of some of Hong Kong's constructive social welfare work.
2. I am glad to be able to inform you, however, that even during the last twelve months the sum of all that has been both planned and achieved is very considerably more than would appear from the regrettably few reports which it has been possible to make available. Shortage of staff and heavy pressure of work in the Social Welfare Office inevitably resulted in the postponement of certain activities, amongst which were the preparation of adequate reports and memoranda and all attempts at publicity.
3.
I now enclose two brief summaries which in part may help to clarify the present position. The first summary outlines the activities which are now wholly or substantially being undertaken by the Social Welfare Office. The second outlines the policies which the Hong Kong Government has initiated or developed through its Social Welfare Office during the last twelve months, in addition to other work which had previously been put in hand. It must however be admitted that, although the second summary refers to a number of constructive policies which have been adopted, the practical work has in many cases had to be severely restricted in scope.
4. The temporary appointment of the substantive Social Welfare Officer to act for seven months as the Secretary for Chinese Affairs has in fact had beneficial effects in that it has given him opportunities to obtain a wider over-all view of the Colony's problems and needs, whilst valuable new approaches and ideas have at the same time been introduced by the present Acting Social Welfare Officer. Closer and more effective liaison has also as a result been built up between the staffs of the Secretariat for Chinese Affairs and the Social Welfare Office.
5. The work of the Social Welfare Office in fostering the growth of Kaifong (Resident's or Community) Welfare Development Associations in urban areas has shown that, though a politically civic consciousness may take long to materialize in Hong Kong, a civic consciousness by local residents of their district's practical welfare needs is a lively and encouraging factor here. It is unfortunate that this healthy development has to be watched and handled with the greatest care, lest on the one hand encouragement too freely given would induce political agitators to use these associations for their own ends, or on the other hand too little encouragement and too much control would kill all real initiative.
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
JAMES GRIFFITHS, M.P.
6.
21 1950
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