XN000022-1974-10-14 — Page 2

HONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1974.

GOVERNMENT EFFORTS TO BRIDGE COMMUNICATION GAP

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THE SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS AND INFORMATION, MR. DENIS BRAY, TODAY SPOKE ABOUT GOVERNMENT'S CONTINUING EFFORTS IN BRIDGING THE COMMUNICATION GAP BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.

SPEAKING AT THE Y'S MEN'S CLUB THIS EVENING, HE SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS VERY CONSCIOUS OF THIS PROBLEM.

+ IN THE LATE SIXTIES WE STARTED TO GIVE MUCH MORE ATTENTION TO COMMUNICATION AND CAN NOW SEE EMERGING A USEFUL TREND IN CITY GOVERNMENT,+ HE ADDED..

MR. BRAY SAID: +IN SPITE OF WESTERN DEMOCRATIC CONCEPTS, YOUR AMERICAN AND BRITISH FRIENDS WILL PROBABLY TELL YOU THAT MANY OF THEM HAVE NEVER MET, LET ALONE TALKED TO, THEIR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES IN GOVERNMENT.

+THESE REPRESENTATIVES ARE MOSTLY TOO BUSY WITH IMPORTANT AFFAIRS AT WESTMINSTER OR CAPITOL HILL. TO YOUR FRIENDS. 'GOVERNMENT' IS STILL AN IMPERSONAL THING, A MONSTER WHICH IS AT ONCE EVERYWHERE AND NOWHERE, A CREATURE WHICH CAN BE ONLY GLIMPSED AT BY ITS OWN SHADOW, BUT SELDOM, IF EVER, GRASPED BY ITS SUBSTANCE.+

IN HONG KONG, HE SAID, IT WAS THE AIM OF THE CITY DISTRICT OFFICER SCHEME TO PERSONALIZE GOVERNMENT AT THE GRASS ROOTS LEVEL, AND IT HAD TURNED OUT TO BE THE PREDECESSOR OF OTHER SIMILAR EFFORTS TO MAKE +GOVERNMENT HUMAN+.

THE SECRETARY RECALLED THAT THE SCHEME FOLLOWED VERY CLOSELY THE ORGANISATION OF THE DISTRICT OFFICERS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

AS THE TEN CITY DISTRICT OFFICERS DID NOT HAVE ANY EXECUTIVE POWER, CRITICS HAVE SUGGESTED THAT THIS SHOWS A LACK OF SINCERITY ON THE PART OF GOVERNMENT AND THAT THE CITY DISTRICT OFFICER SCHEME IS NOTHING KORE THAN WINDOW- DRESSING.

COMMENTING ON THIS CRITICISM, MR. BRAY SAID: THERE ARE ALREADY PLENTY OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND NO NEW ONES ARE NECESSARY TO CARRY OUT THE WORK OF GOVERNMENT. THE THING THAT WAS MISSING WAS NOT ADMINISTRATIVE CAPACITY BUT HUMAN CONTACT. THIS WAS SUPPLIED.+

/HE