of all parts of their communities. Hong Kong life is so full of variety that C.D.O.s must devise an equal variety of approaches if they are to succeed in their primary aim.
113. A second criticism is that C.D.O.s are not ombudsmen-that is they are not investigators with power to set things right, or a statutory authority to make independent reports. This they have never set out to be but they are one channel through which complaints and suggestions can be made. The picture that some people paint of the Government as an inhuman machine which would react only to inquisitors armed with statutory powers is a strange one to arrive at about a Government which is almost painfully sensitive to public opinion, but it nevertheless seems to be quite widely held. The C.D.O.s' experience in dealing with other de- partments is that apart from the occasional natural defence of a colleague there is usually sympathy and understanding when appeals are made. While the C.D.O. has no statutory authority he has the great advantage of having no limit to the subjects he can deal with. The point is overlooked by those who advocate some form of statutory powers for an investigator, and I do not think much importance should be attached to this criticism which is in no way related to anything we have ever said the C.D.O.s would do.
114. The scale on which the scheme has been launched, that is to say with six district offices in Kowloon and four on the island, seems to me to be about right. It has been a major undertaking to find all the staff required in so short a time. A significantly larger organization could not have been built up in the time and anything substantially smaller would have failed to make an impact. Some C.D.O.s could naturally deploy a larger staff and they are all worked very hard. Before making any recom- mendations for the next stage of development I should like to see how we manage when all the offices are fully staffed. I propose therefore to defer a review of staff requirements until the summer of this year with a view to making recommendations for the financial year 1970-71.
115. The question of quality is more important than quantity. The point was made more than once during planning that the scheme would stand or fall on the quality of the staff deployed. Progress so far has amply borne out this forecast. The task is incapable of reduction to routine; it involves a great deal of work in building up effective relationships and understanding within the public service and among the public. In both fields action will only follow if those with whom the C.D.O. and his staff deal have confidence in their personal abilities-not those of the
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