WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1981
10
+REVIVE INDUSTRY'S PIONEER SPIRIT+
******
-
THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD TAKE EVERY POSSIBLE STEP TO RESTORE THE MORALE AND STATUS - THE PIONEER SPIRIT -
THE PIONEER SPIRIT OF HONG KONG'S MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY, THE HON ALEX WU SAID.
HE TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THAT LOOKING BACK ONLY 30 YEARS TO THE BEGINNING OF OUR INDUSTRIAL MIRACLE, THERE WAS ALMOST FRONTIER VIRTUE ABOUT THE SPIRIT HONG KONG THEN DISPLAYED.
+TO BE AN INDUSTRIALIST IN THOSE DAYS WAS TO BE RECOGNISED AS A PILLAR OF SOCIETY, SOMEONE WHO MADE A TANGIBLE, VISIBLE CONTRIBUTION TO THE PROGRESS OF THE COMMUNITY, AND, ABOVE ALL, WHO CREATED JOBS.
+BUT WHAT ABOUT THE SPIRIT THAT WROUGHT OUR ECONOMIC MIRACLE AND BUILT A MODERN INDUSTRIAL ECONOMY OUT OF VIRTUALLY NOTHING?
+HAS IT LOST IT IMPETUS, OR JUST DIRECTION?+ HE ASKED.
THE LEGENDS WHICH CATCH POPULAR IMAGINATION TODAY, MR WU CONTINUED, ARE NOT ABOUT MEN WHO STARTED WITH A DOLLAR AND A BACKROOM WORKSHOP AND BUILT A MANUFACTURING ENTERPRISE EMPLOYING HUNDREDS AND SENDING HONG KONG GOODS ALL OVER THE WORLD.
+1 DO NOT THINK THAT DOES MEAN OUR MANUFACTURING ENTREPRENEURS HAVE LOST THEIR TOUCH, OR THEIR BELIEF IN THE ESSENTIAL IMPORTANCE OF THE MANUFACTURING BASE OF THE HONG KONG ECONOMY.
+ I DO THINK THERE IS A LACK OF PURPOSE AND DIRECTION
EVIDENT AT THIS TIME, HE SAID.
MR WU WAS COMMENTING ON THE FAILURE OF SELF-RESTRAINT IN THE PROVISION OF CREDIT AND IN THE SPECULATION IN REAL ESTATE WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO HIGH HOUSING COSTS IN HONG KONG.
HE POINTED OUT THAT IT DID NOT TAKE A VERY SOPHISTICATED ECONOMIST TO SEE THAT WE WILL NOT EXPAND THE WEALTH OF THE COMMUNITY BY TAKING IN EACH OTHER'S WASHING+.
BUT THIS IS WHAT A GREAT MANY BIG FINANCIAL DEALS AMOUNT TO RECENTLY, HE SAID.
+ IF WE DO NOT EXPAND OUR NATIONAL WEALTH, HE WARNED, WE DO NOT KEEP UP WITH OUR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC COMMITMENTS, WE DO NOT ENJOY THE BETTER LIFE WE HAVE WORKED FOR, AND OUR STANDARDS OF LIVING WILL FALL.
+WE USED TO BE A SOCIETY THAT KNEW THOSE HOMETRUTHS BY INSTINCT.
/+I CAN
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