XN000022-1979-10-31 — Page 13

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1979

12

BUT IF THERE IS A RECESSION, THE INEVITABLE DOWNWARD PRESSURE ON WAGE RATES WILL BE GREATER AND INCREASED UNEMPLOYMENT COULD LAST LONGER, THE RESULT COULD BE SOCIAL UNREST, SHE SAID.

FURTHERMORE, TO THE EXTENT THAT WAGE LEVELS ARE DEPRESSED OR INCREASE MORE SLOWLY, INDUSTRIALISTS HAVE LESS INCENTIVE TO MOVE INTO HIGH-TECHNOLOGY, CAPITAL-INTENSIVE INDUSTRIES GENERATING HIGHER ADDED VALUE.

SHE THEREFORE STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTAINING THE FLOW OF LEGAL AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA,

LINKED TO THE PROBLEM OF POPULATION GROWTH IS THE KEEPING OF LAW AND ORDER, AND SECURITY IN HONG KONG.

+OBVIOUSLY, HONG KONG IN THE 1980'S MUST HAVE A POLICE FORCE CAPABLE OF A FLEXIBLE RESPONSE. THIS MEANS IT MUST BE HIGHLY TRAINED AND PROPERLY MOTIVATED AND PROVIDED WITH MODERN TECHNOLOGY,+ SHE SAID.

THE THIRD PRIORITY TASK WHICH MISS DUNN THOUGHT SHOULD BE GIVEN ATTENTION IS THE ADAPTATION AND MODERNISATION, ON A CONTINUING BASIS, OF THE INSTITUTIONS AND PRACTICES OF GOVERNMENT, SO THAT, SHE SAID. THEY WILL MATCH HONG KONG'S STATUS AS A MODERN INTERNATIONAL CITY THAT HAS A REPUTATION OF BEING "A CITY THAT WORKS".+

WHILE SHE HAD THE HIGHEST RESPECT FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE, SHE FELT IT WAS ANOTHER THING TO BE SATISFIED THAT THE ORGANISATION OF GOVERNMENT'S INTERNAL ADMINISTRATION IS TAILORED TO PRESENT DAY NEEDS, AND SHE SUGGESTED THAT IT IS TIME FOR AN IN DEPTH STUDY, PERHAPS WITH THE ASSOCIATION OF THE UNOFFICIALS, OF THE GOVERNMENT'S TOP MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE.

SHE ALSO SUGGESTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT TAKE A HARD LOOK AT OUR NETWORK OF BOARDS AND COMMITTEES.

SHE STRESSED THAT HONG KONG IN THE 1980'S WILL SEE A NEW GENERATION OF YOUNG PEOPLE WHO KNOW NO HOME OTHER THAN HONG KONG AND WHILST NOT INSENSITIVE TO THE GEO-POLITICAL REALITIES WHICH DETERMINE THE WAY HONG KONG IS GOVERNED, WILL WISH TO BE MEANINGFULLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE GOVERNING PROCESS.

COMMENTING ON THE FOURTH PRIORITY TASK WHICH DEMANDS OUR ATTENTION, MISS DUNN SAID THE SEEKING OF AN ACCEPTABLE SETTLEMENT TO OUR FUTURE IS A DELICATE SUBJECT BUT IS NOT ONE TO BE AVOIDED.

SHE FELT BOUND TO SAY THAT EMPHASIS ON THE TRIPARTITE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHINA, HONG KONG AND BRITAIN SOMETIMES TENDS TO OVERLOOK THAT IT IS THE FUTURE OF OUR COMMUNITY WHICH IS AT STAKE.

+HONG KONG PEOPLE ARE PATIENT, AND IN THEIR OWN WAY POLITICALLY SENSITIVE AND SENSIBLE. BUT ANXIETY - AND I AM NOT JUST REFERRING TO THE ANXIETY OF INVESTORS - ANXIETY WILL BECOME APPARENT IF A SOLUTION TO OUR POLITICAL FUTURE IS NOT SOUGHT AND AGREED WITHIN THE NEXT FEW YEARS, SHE SAID.

/13