XN000022-1981-11-23 — Page 3

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1981

AFTER FURTHER. THOUGHT THESE BOARDS HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED INTO THE DISTRICTS OF HONG KONG AND KOWLOON, TO PROVIDE A MORE ORGANISED AND RATIONAL BASIS FOR LOCAL CONSULTATION AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.

ALL THIS TOOK PLACE WITHIN THE PAST THREE YEARS.

+JUST RECENTLY, TO BRING THESE LOCAL BOARDS YET CLOSER TO THE PEOPLE, WE ARE INVITING THEM TO CHOOSE SOME, BUT NOT ALL, OF THE REPRESENTATIVES ON LOCAL BOARDS THEMSELVES, HENCE REGISTRATION OF VOTERS AND NEXT YEAR'S ELECTIONS,+ MR AKERS-JONES SAID.

+BOTH DENIS BRAY AND MYSELF HAVE HAD A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THESE DEVELOPMENTS, BUT THEY HAVE NOW REACHED A STAGE WHEN THE CITY AND THE NEW TERRITORIES ARE FAST BECOMING MORE ALIKE: IT WAS A SENSIBLE STEP THEREFORE TO PUT THE WHOLE MACHINERY UNDER ONE COMMAND.

BUT THESE WERE NOT THE ONLY CHANGES TAKING PLACE.

THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY AREAS WAS ALSO ORGANISING ITS WORKS PROGRAMME TO DEAL WITH DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT IN A MORE COORDINATED AND SYSTEMATIC WAY, SOMEWHAT AKIN TO THE SO-CALLED 'PACKAGE' SYSTEM OF DEVELOPMENT SUCCESSFULLY ADOPTED IN OUR NEW TOWNS.

CHANGES IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF LAND WERE FOLLOWING THE SAME

PATTERN.

DISTRICT OFFICERS HAD BEEN LOCAL LAND OFFICERS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES FOR 80 YEARS.

NOW IT WAS PROPOSED THAT THERE SHOULD BE DISTRICT LAND OFFICERS IN THE DISTRICTS OF THE CITY AS WELL AS THE NEW TERRITORIES BUT, BECAUSE OF THE WEIGHT OF THE DISTRICT OFFICERS' GENERAL POLITICAL RESPONSIBILITIES, THE DAY-TO-DAY WORK OF LAND ADMINISTRATION WOULD BE HANDLED BY THE LANDS DEPARTMENT.

DISTRICT OFF ICERS WOULD STAND BACK A BIT, BUT THEY WOULD NOT ABDICATE THE IR GENERAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR PROMOTING THE GOOD GOVERNMENT OF THE IR DISTRICTS.

*WE SHOULD THUS SEE BEFORE LONG A SYSTEM OF DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION THAT IS CLOSELY INTEGRATED IN ALL ITS ASPECTS WITH THE DISTRICT BOARDS THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE TERRITORY, + MR AKERS-JONES SAID.

+THIS GOVERNMENT GAME OF MUSICAL CHAIRS, THIS SHUFFLE, HAS A DISCERNIBLE PATTERN TO IT. AND, WHEN THE MUSIC STOPS AND WE ALL SIT DOWN ON OUR CHAIRS IN OUR OFFICES OR AT THE MEETINGS OF THE DISTRICT BOARDS, THE BUSINESS OF THE DAY-TO-DAY GOVERNMENT OF THIS GREAT PLACE WILL HAVE TAKEN ANOTHER SENSIBLE STEP FORWARD TO ENABLE US TO DEAL MORE ADEQUATELY AND EFFICIENTLY WITH THE RADICALLY CHANGED TEMPO OF THE EIGHTIES AND THE ASPIRATIONS OF OUR PEOPLE,+ HE SAID.

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