XN000022-1980-07-16 — Page 24

numbers have stretched our social services to the limit and have

threatened to erode the improvements we have made, so hard-won,

over the past three decades. Now we have to look again at our

plans for education, housing, health and welfare provisions, and

revise them to take into account this much-swollen and swelling

population.

And so yet once more, Hong Kong is having to face up

to an extraordinary, a seemingly impossible, problem. Hong

Kong has overcome this kind of problem before it is true and

I have no Coubt will do so again for I have the greatest

possible respect ad aduiration for the ability of Hong Kong

te overcome adversity: but it will not be easy. Meantime,

and in these circumstances, we shall have a struggle to.

maintain, let alone to improve, the "quality of life"

as I have told you, for us has been so hard-won.

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which,

I hope that during your stay here you will take the

opportunity to gec a good deal of Hong Kong, its territory.

and its people end examine its development. Your conference

programme is very full, I know, and there will be much to

discuss. I do urge you, though, to make a little time to

explore this city, the countryside (which is quite beautiful)

and our lovely islands. We are unashamedly, proud of our

/Hong Kong and