XN000022-1975-11-28 — Page 5

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1975

GOVERNMENT ASSESSES PUBLIC OPINION BEFORE TAKING ACTION

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THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFTEN GOES TO EXTRAORDINARY LENGTHS TO CONSULT AND SOUND OUT OPINION BEFORE IT ACTS AND IT DOES THIS THROUGH A NETWORK OF DISTRICT OFFICES AND ADVISORY BODIES. THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (ADMINISTRATION), MR. YEUNG KAI- YIN, SAID TODAY.

HE TOLD A GATHERING AT THE SPEECH DAY OF KUNG LEE COLLEGE THAT THIS STEP WAS TAKEN BECAUSE HONG KONG COULD NOT HAVE THE USUAL APPARATUS OF A DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT.

MR. YEUNG SAID +MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, THE MAJOR DECISIONS OF THE GOVERNMENT ARE FOUNDED. ON TWO THINGS THE PRESERVATION OF OUR EXISTENCE THROUGH SOUND ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL MEASURES, AND IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE.+

POINTING OUT THAT IDEALS AND PRINCIPLES EXISTED BEHIND THE GOVERNMENT'S DECISIONS, MR. YEUNG SAID, HOWEVER, THAT +THERE ARE NO IDEALISTS TO DRAMATISE THEM FOR US, AND IT IS PERHAPS BECAUSE OF THIS THAT NO ONE SEEMS PARTICULARLY ENAMOURED OF THE GOVERNMENT OR OF THE CIVIL SERVICE.

+ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE IS NOTHING OF THE PESSIMISTIC REALIST, FOR THE GOVERNMENT DOES GET ON WITH PROVIDING A LOT OF THINGS OUR COMMUNITY WANTS, WITHIN THE LIMITS SET BY AVAILABLE RESOURCES.

+ IT IS PROBABLY TRUE TO SAY, THEREFORE, THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS RUN BY ORDINARY, INTELLIGENT AND VERY PRAGMATICALLY-MINDED PEOPLE- AND WHEN WE CONSIDER THE WAY THAT HONG KONG HAS GROWN OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS THERE IS A LOT TO BE SAID FOR THE KIND OF GOVERNMENT WE HAVE.+

EARLIER, MR. YEUNG SAID HE BELIEVED THAT HUMANITY CONSISTED OF THREE KINDS OF PEOPLE THE IDEAL IST, THE REALIST AND THE PRAGMATIST.

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THE VAST MAJORITY OF VERY ORDINARY PEOPLE WERE PRAGMATISTS, HE SAID.

+ INDIVIDUALLY, HE ADDED, THEY ALL HAVE THEIR IDEALS, AND AMBITIONS FOUNDED ON THESE IDEALS, BUT THEY ARE ALSO PREPARED TO FACE UP TO REALITY FROM TIME TO TIME WHILE REMAINING TRUE TO THEMSELVES.+

HE BELIEVED THAT SOCIETY OWED ITS STABILITY VERY MUCH TO THE FACT THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WERE PRETTY PRAGMATIC IN THEIR APPROACH TO THE PROBLEMS OF EXISTENCE.

BEFORE WISHING THE SCHOOL LEAVERS SUCCESS IN THEIR ENDEAVOURS, MR. YEUNG COMMENDED TO THEM THE THOUGHT THAT IT WAS THE PRAGMATIC MAN WHO OFTEN SURVIVED TO LEAD A USEFUL LIFE AND HE HOPED THAT THEY WOULD FIND SOME USE IN WHAT HE HAD SAID.

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