XN000022-1981-02-11 — Page 15

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1981

+SO IT IS POSSIBLE THAT BECAUSE OF DIFFERENT VIEWPOINTS OR SENSE OF PRIORITIES, A DISTRICT BOARD AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT MAY HOLD DIVERGENT VIEWS ON CERTAIN MATTERS.

+UNDER SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES, THE DISTRICT BOARD MAY THINK IT WOULD BE MORE APPROPRIATE TO BRING THE MATTER DIRECT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE CHIEF SECRETARY, WHO REPRESENTS THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT, OR YOUR EXCELLARCY,

TAKE FOR INSTANCE, MR WONG SAID, THE WAN CHAI DISTRICT FOARD MIGHT OBJECT TO REMOVING THE SOUTHORN PLAYGROUND FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A MTR STATION SINCE THE PLAYGROUND WAS REGARDED AS THE +LUNG+ CF THAT DENSELY POPULATED DISTRICT.

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+AS SUCH PROBLEM HAS A DIRECT BEARING ON THE GOVERNMENT'S OVERALL TRANSPORT AND LAND POLICIES, IT MAY BE NECESSARY TO REFER THIS MATTER TO HIGHEST AUTHORITY TO MAKE A FINAL DECISION ONCE IT BECOMES CLEAR THAT THE DISTRICT MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE IS NOT THE ADEQUATE AUTHORITY TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM,+ HE ADDED.

FOUR OTHER UNOFFICIAL MEMEERS ALSO GAVE THEIR COMMENTS ON THE WHITE PAPER.

THE HON CHARLES YEUNG CALLED FOR THE CREATION OF DEPUTY GOVERNORS TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS AND TO GUIDE THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION WITH APPROPRIATE RESPONSIVENESS.

HE SAID THE INHERENT WEAKNESS AND DANGER IN THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEM SET OUT IN THE WHITE PAPER WERE FOUND IN THE MISSING LINKS IN THE CHAIN OF DIRECT AUTHORITY.

+THE PROPOSITION ENVISAGED IN THE WHITE PAPER WAS THAT WHEN LOCAL ASPIRATIONS WERE NOT MET, THE DISTRICT BOARD WILL LOOK TO THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES OR THE DIRECTOR OF HOME AFFAIRS TO CHAMP ION THE IR CAUSE.

+THE QUESTION IS HOW AND HOW EFFECTIVE IF THOSE CHAMPIONS ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH ARMOURS AND WEAPONS TO RUN THE GAUNTLET OF EQUAL AND INDEPENDENT OR HIGHER AUTHORITIES,+ HE ASKED.

MR YEUNG POINTED OUT THAT THE SPIRIT AND INTENDMENT OF THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEM WAS THE CREATION OF A MORE CONGENIAL POLITICAL ATMOSPHERE, A MORE HARMONIOUS SOCIAL SETTING AND A BETTER COMMUNITY+.

THE SUCCESS OF THE SYSTEM DEPENDED UPON THE CHARISMA AND DYNAMISM OF ITS SUPREME LEADER RADIATING THROUGH HIS SOCIO- POLITICAL DEPUTY GOVERNORS AND ENSHRINED BY THEIR ADROITNESS IN LOCAL POLITICS, KNOWLEDGE OF THE SOCIAL NORM AND AWARENESS OF COMMUNITY ASPIRATIONS, THEREBY THEY COULD GET THE RIGHT THINGS DONE AT THE RIGHT TIME AND IN THE RIGHT WAYS, HE ADDED.

+THESE ESSENTIAL SOC 10-POLITICAL QUALITIES CAN ONLY EE ACQUIRED BY ACCUMULATION THROUGH A LONG EXPOSURE TO LOCAL POLITICS, THROUGH ACCEPTANCE BY THE LOCAL SOCIETY AND THROUGH INVOLVEMENT IN LOCAL AFFAIRS, AS THEY WILL GENERATE CONFIDENCE, TRUST AND AFFECTION WHICH ARE THE BASE OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AND UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE GOVERNED. +

WHILE AGUSTING