XN000022-1980-03-21 — Page 8

FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 1980

*LIKEWISE, THE GUANGDONG AUTHORITIES ARE CONSIDERING PLANS FOR IMPROVING THE ROAD SYSTEM ON THEIR SIDE OF THE BORDER AND, IN DUE COURSE, THAT SYSTEM WILL NEED TO BE BETTER-LINKED WITH OUR OWN NEW TERRITORIES ROAD SYSTEM. THIS MAY MEAN THAT, WITHIN A FEW YEARS, A MAJOR NEW ROAD- CROSSING WILL BE NEEDED TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE GROWING CROSS-BORDER ROAD TRAFFIC. HERE I NEED HARDLY POINT OUT THE NUMBER OF EXAMPLES IN EUROPE WHERE IMPROVED COMMUNICATIONS ACROSS BORDERS HAS LED TO MUTUALLY REINFORCING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ON BOTH SIDES.

+THE SCOPE THAT ALL THESE POSSIBILITIES HOLDS OUT TO THE ENGINEERING PROFESSIONAL IN TERMS OF IMAGINATIVE PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION IS VAST, VARIED AND EXTREMELY EXCITING. YOU ARE TRULY MEN OF THE FUTURE.

MR PRESIDENT, I HAVE ALMOST DONE. BUT BEFORE I CONCLUDE I SHOULD LIKE TO RETURN TO THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF ALL THE PLANNING AND ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENTS | HAVE TOUCHED ON TONIGHT. THE HUMAN ASPECT, DURING PERIODS OF CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING SOME, PERHAPS MANY, PEOPLE ARE BOUND TO BE INCONVENIENCED BY NOISE, DIRT, INSTRUSION, EYESORES OR WHAT HAVE YOU. OUR PEOPLE ARE, ON THE WHOLE, VERY PATIENT IN FACING, AND LEARNING TO LIVE WITH, THESE INCONVENIENCES AS PART OF THE PRICE TO BE PAID FOR DEVELOPMENTS FROM WHICH THEY WILL LATER BENEFIT.

+BUT THIS, NO DOUBT, IS AN OLD STORY TO YOU. MANY, IF NOT MOST, OF YOU HERE ARE ALREADY IN MANAGERIAL POS IT IONS AND CAN SEE FULL WELL HOW ENGINEERING UNDERLINES THE SOMETIMES ALMOST FRIGHTENING PACE OF LIFE IN HONG KONG - THE BOOMING FACTORIES, THE PRESS OF PEOPLE AND TRAFFIC, THE HUSTLE AND BUSTLE, AND MUSHROOMING CONSTRUCTIONS. AND YOU MUST KNOW, TOO, OF THE POOR UNFORTUNATES AMONGST US WHO CANNOT KEEP UP WITH THE PACE, WHO SLIP THROUGH THE SOMEWHAT MEAGRE SAFETY NETS GOVERNMENT HAS SO FAR BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE TO CATCH AND HELP THEM. YOU, MORE THAN MOST, COME IN DAILY CONTACT WITH PROBLEMS OF LABOUR-MANAGEMENT RELATIONS AND ARE AWARE, MORE THAN MOST, THAT WE NEED NOT ONLY THE EXPERTISE, THE PROFESSIONALISM, THE IDEAS, BUT ALSO THE PEOPLE WHO CARRY OUT THOSE IDEAS WHO ACTUALLY MAKE, BUILD, DIG, AND SOMETIMES SADLY DIE IN THE ENDEAVOUR.

+HONG KONG IS FORTUNATE INDEED TO HAVE A QUITE REMARKABLE LABOUR FORCE - FLEXIBLE AND HARD-WORKING. THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO SHARE FAIRLY IN OUR PROSPERITY - A PROSPERITY WHICH THEY HAVE LARGELY HELPED TO CREATE. AS OUR COMMUNITY MATURES DEMANDS MORE OF A SAY IN OUR AFFAIRS AND EXPECTS A GREATER MEASURE OF SOCIAL EQUALITY, IT IS NATURAL, HEALTHY AND RIGHT THAT ORGANISATIONS WHICH LOOK AFTER THE INTERESTS OF OUR WORKFORCE AND WHICH STRIVE TO IMPROVE LABOUR-MANAGEMENT RELATIONS SHOULD FLOURISH AND TAKE THEIR PART IN THE COMMUNITY'S TOTAL EFFORT.

+AND YOU- REMEMBERING YOUR OBLIGATIONS TO CONSIDER THE SOCIOLOGICAL, ECONOMIC AND SPIRITUAL EFFECTS OF YOUR WORK AND TO AID YOUR FELLOWMEN TO ADJUST WISELY THEIR MODES OF LIVING WILL CERTAINLY I AM SURE BE THE FIRST TO AGREE THAT IT BEHOVES US AS FAR AS POSSIBLE TO REMEMBER THE PEOPLE OUR PEOPLE, TO KEEP THEM IN THE PICTURE AS TO WHAT IS BEING DONE AND WHY, AND TO LISTEN CAREFULLY TO THEIR OPINIONS.

/+MR PRESIDENT,

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