XN000022-1984-12-17 — Page 5

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1984

+ IT IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNISE THE THREAT TO LAW AND ORDER THAT TRIADS REPRESENT, BUT LET US BE CAREFUL TO KEEP THAT THREAT IN PERSPECTIVE. IT DOES THE PUBLIC A GRAVE DISSERVICE TO EXAGGERATE THE PRESTIGE AND POWER OF THE TRIADS AND CREATE AN ATMOSPHERE OF UNNECESSARY ALARM.

+THERE IS A PROBLEM. IT IS NOT A NEW ONE, BUT RATHER A RESURGENCE OF AN OLD ONE. THE POLICE ARE ALREADY TAKING EFFECTIVE MEASURES TO CONTROL IT AND THE FIGHT CRIME COMMITTEE WILL SHORTLY PROPOSE WHAT ADDITIONAL MEASURES MAY BE NECESSARY, + HE SAID.

ORDERS-ON-HAND, EMPLOYMENT, PAYROLL FIGURES OUT ***

THE AVERAGE VOLUME OF ORDERS-ON-HAND IN TERMS OF MONTHS IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR DECLINED IN OCTOBER 1984 FROM THE PREVIOUS MONTH, ACCORDING TO FIGURES RELEASED TODAY (MONDAY) BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

WHILE SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN ORDERS WERE REPORTED BY THE FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS AND PLASTIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES, A SLIGHT INCREASE WAS RECORDED BY THE TEXTILES INDUSTRY.

COMPARED WITH THE PREVIOUS MONTH, EMPLOYMENT IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR REMAINED STABLE. A SLIGHT INCREASE IN EMPLOYMENT WAS REPORTED IN THE TEXTILES AND PLASTIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES. HOWEVER, DECLINES WERE REPORTED IN THE FOOD AND DRINKS AND FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES.

INCREASES IN PAYROLL AND PER CAPITA EARNINGS WERE REPORTED IN MOST MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES BECAUSE OF MORE OVERTIME WORK.

ALTHOUGH EMPLOYMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR CONTINUED TO FALL, BOTH PAYROLL AND PER CAPITA EARNINGS ROSE DUE TO SALARY ADJUSTMENTS AND SEVERANCE PAYMENTS BY SOME FIRMS.

IN THE SERVICES SECTORS, THE EMPLOYMENT LEVEL WAS EFFECTIVELY UNCHANGED. HOWEVER, PAYROLL AND PER CAPITA EARNINGS FELL.

THE PERCENTAGE CHANGES IN ORDERS-ON-HAND, EMPLOYMENT AND PER CAPITA EARNINGS FOR THE LAST THREE MONTHS ARE SHOWN IN THE TABLES BELOW.

THE SURVEY COVERED A PANEL OF THE 200 LARGEST MANUFACTURING COMPANIES AND THE 50 LARGEST COMPANIES IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND SELECTED SERVICES SECTORS CHOSEN BY REFERENCE TO THE IR EMPLOYMENT IN MARCH 1983.

/AS THE