XN000022-1973-10-17 — Page 30

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Wednesday, October 17, 1973

YEAR OF INTENSE ACTIVITY

The Governor, Sir Murray MacLehose, today described the year which

followed his last review of the affairs of Hong Kong as "one of intense

activity, and shot through with important and sometimes dramatic events."

with the support of the Executive and

However, the government

Legislative Councils had been constantly concerned not to be diverted from

the mainstream of the social policies outlined last year, he told the opening

session of the Legislative Council.

"On no account have we been prepared to permit the pressing

pre-occupations of today to divert us from long-term measures to achieve the

essential conditions of an acceptable tomorrow,"

This, the Governor said, was because he was convinced "that in many

respecte current conditions can only be accepted if the public knows that

their government is seriously determined to improve them and within a

reasonable timescale."

Sir Murray cited a long list of important events which had

pre-occupied Hong Kong. These included: the rise and fall of the stock

market; the sterling float and its effect on the value of Hong Kong's reserves;

the Clean Hong Kong Campaign; discrimination and the threat of discrimination against

Hong Kong in generalised preference schemec; the fight against crime; the

reprieve, on the advice of the Queen, of a convicted murderer against the

overwhelming wishes of the majority of the population; and the Godber case,

among others.

In order not to be diverted from the mainstream of cur social policies,

the Governor said, long-term plans were required "to break finally the

makeshift conditions forced on Hong Kong by the influx of population in the

Fifties and Sixties.' "

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