XN000022-1982-03-24 — Page 3

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 1982

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+WHILE WE CONTINUE TO ACHIEVE GREATER PROGRESS, WE KNOW WE CANNOT NOW OFFER THESE TO EVERYONE IN FACT NO SOCIETY CAN- THIS MUST BE ACCEPTED AND UNDERSTOOD HONG KONG IS NOT A WELFARE STATE.

+NEVERTHELESS, WE MUST NOT FORGET THAT OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, THOSE BORN HERE, AND OTHERS WHO HAVE WORKED HERE ALL THEIR LIVES HAVE ASPIRATIONS AND LEGITIMATE EXPECTATIONS OF PARTICIPATION, MR LOBO SAID.

CALL FOR SMALL FACTORY BUILDINGS

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DR THE HON FRANCIS TIEN URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO SPONSOR THE BUILDING OF SMALL FACTORIES ON LINES SIMILAR TO THOSE ADOPTED FOR THE HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME.

+GIVEN THE UNFORTUNATE UNCERTAINTIES REGARDING TENURE IN ACCOMMODATION AS WELL AS THAT OF RENTS, MANY SMALL FACTORIES FACE CONSIDERABLE DIFFICULTIES, HE SAID.

+THEY HAVE MANY ANXIETIES. THEY MAY LACK A SENSE OF SECURITY, A SENSE OF BELONGING AND EVEN A SENSE OF OWNERSHIP.+

DR TIEN SAID HE WAS AWARE OF THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY'S BELIEF THAT DIRECT ASSISTANCE TO INDUSTRY IS UNDESIRABLE AND THEREFORE HE WAS NOT ASKING HIM TO ABANDON HIS +CHERISHED PRINCIPLES OF PRUDENT HOUSEKEEPING+.

BUT HE THOUGHT THAT SOME HELP SHOULD BE GIVEN TO SMALL-SCALE INDUSTRIES BECAUSE +SMALL-SCALE DOES NOT MEAN SMALL IN IMPORTANCE+.

HE REFERRED IN PARTICULAR TO THE LINKAGE OR COMPONENT INDUSTRIES WITHOUT WHICH, HE POINTED OUT, HONG KONG WOULD BE IN CRITICAL DIFFICULTIES.

+THESE INCLUDE BUTTON MANUFACTURERS, DIE-CASTERS AND PERHAPS ZIPPER-MAKERS FOR WHICH ALL OUR TROUSERED MEN, IF NOT WOMEN, ARE ETERNALLY THANKFUL,

+THE HUMBLE BUTTON IS IN MANY WAYS THE SUPPORT OF PART OF OUR TEXTILE SYSTEM.

+WITHOUT THESE SMALL-SCALE CONCERNS EVEN HIGHLY SOPHISTICATED INDUSTRIES SUCH AS THE COMPUTER INDUSTRY CANNOT THRIVE, HE SAID.

DR TIEN ALSO WARNED THAT WITHOUT SOME INDIRECT HELP, SUCH COMPONENT INDUSTRIES MIGHT WELL FALL BY THE WAYSIDE.

+IN THAT EVENT HONG KONG WOULD BE THE LOSER, FOR INDUSTRY NEEDS THE SMALL MAN JUST AS MUCH AS THE WELL-ESTABLISHED LARGE COMPANY, HE ADDED.

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