XN000022-1977-09-01 — Page 3

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1977

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1977

* PUBLIC STATEMENTS WHICH HAVE BECOME AN ACCEPTED CHANNEL OF INTERACTION. THOUGH IT DOES NOT EXACTLY INVOLVE DIRECT COMMUNICATION WITH THE GOVERNMENT, IT CAN, AND OFTEN DOES, PROVOKE PUBLIC DEBATE AND THEREBY DRAWS TO THE GOVERNMENT'S ATTENTION ISSUES OF CONCERN OR DIFFERING POINTS OF VIEW ON PUBLIC POLICY- AND

*

THE SETTING UP BY THE GOVERNOR OF INFORMAL COMMITTEES, OR FORMAL COMMISSIONS OF INQUIRY TO INVESTIGATE MATTERS OF PUBLIC CONCERN THROUGH WHICH INDIVIDUALS, AS WELL AS ORGANISATIONS AND GROUPS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, ARE ABLE TO VOICE THE IR OPINIONS ON THE MATTERS BEING INQUIRED INTO.

IN CONCLUSION, HE SAID, +ADEQUATE CHANNELS DO EXIST TO PROVIDE FOR INCREASING INTERACTION BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE COMMUNITY, AND CERTAINLY, THE GOVERNMENT DOES RECOGNISE THAT, IN THIS COMMUNITY, AS IN ANY OTHER, THERE IS A MULTIPLICITY OF PROBLEMS AND POINTS OF VIEW.+

BUT, HE STRESSED, THESE SIX CHANNELS OF INTERACTION WORK WELL ONLY TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY ARE USED EFFECTIVELY, AND IT IS INCUMBENT ON BOTH THE GOVERNMENT, AND THE MANY ORGANISATIONS AND GROUPS WHICH MAKE UP THE PRIVATE SECTOR, TO SEE THAT THEY ARE.

HONG KONG TIME SURVEY *****

THE GOVERNMENT IS INVITING PUBLIC VIEWS ON WHAT TIME SYSTEM SHOULD BE ADOPTED AS HONG KONG TIME IN FUTURE.

DURING THE NEXT TWO MONTHS, RESIDENTS CAN WRITE IN TO THE PRINCIPAL ASSISTANT SECRETARY (HOME AFFAIRS) G.P.O. BOX 10,000 GIVING THEIR VIEWS ON WHETHER HONG KONG SHOULD:

* RETAIN G.M.T. +8 AS HONG KONG TIME THROUGHOUT THE YEAR- * ADOPT G.M.T. +9 AS HONG KONG TIME THROUGHOUT THE YEAR* OR

* REVERT TO THE PREVIOUS DUAL TIME SYSTEM, CHANGING THE

CLOCK IN APRIL AND OCTOBER.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY THERE HAD BEEN INTENSIVE

AND DISCUSSIONS ON THE QUESTION OF HONG KONG TIME LAST YEAR, PUBLIC PREFERENCES SEEMED TO DIFFER WIDELY.

ACCORDINGLY, THE SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS ANNOUNCED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN AUGUST LAST YEAR THAT HONG KONG SHOULD TRY STANDARD TIME (G.M.T. +8) THROUGHOUT THE WINTER OF 1976 AND THIS SUMMER.

+THIS WAS TO ENABLE THE PUBLIC TO EXPERIENCE G.M.T. +8 OVER A FULL YEAR AS AGAINST SUMMER TIME (G.M.T. +9) AND MAKE THEIR OWN CHOICE ON THE BASIS OF ACTUAL EXPERIENCE, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

+WITH THE EXPERIENCE THUS GAINED THE PUBLIC SHOULD BE IN A BETTER POSITION TO ASSESS THEIR PREFERENCE ON A MORE REALISTIC BASIS BY COMPARING THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH THE PERIOD IN 1974 WHEN SUMMER TIME WAS ADOPTED OVER MUCH OF THE WINTER,+ HE SAID.

PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS ISSUE SHOULD REACH THE PRINCIPAL ASSISTANT SECRETARY (HOME AFFAIRS) NOT LATER THAN OCTOBER 30, 1977.

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