MR. KIDD: WELL, IT'S VERY EASY TO USE THESE TERMS LAISSEZ FAIRE' AND 'GOVERNMENT OF THE RICH', I THINK THEY'RE BEING WRONG- HEADED. I DON'T GET THE IMPRESSION THAT THEY HAVE A VERY CLEAR AND UP TO DATE KNOWLEDGE OF HONG KONG AS IT ACTUALLY IS. WE ARE IMPROVING OUR LABOUR LEGISLATION ALL THE TIME. WE ARE SPENDING VERY LARGE SUMS OF MONEY INDEED ON SOCIAL SERVICES, A POINT WHICH THIS GROUP SIGNALLY IGNORES, WE ARE, ON OUR CURRENT BUDGET, EARMARKING SIXTY EIGHT PER CENT OF ALL OUR EXPEND I TURE THIS YEAR ON SOCIAL SERVICES AND COMMUNITY SERVICES.
N. ROSS: BUT ARE YOU SAYING THE BAD CONDITIONS THAT GIS GROUP EEEEE THAT THIS GROUP POINTS TO SIMPLY DON'T EXIST IN REALITY?
MR. KIDD: I'M NOT SAYING THEY DON'T EXIST, BUT THEY HAVE TO BE SEEN IN A PROPER PERSPECTIVE. HONG KONG IS NOT THE UNITED KINGDOM. IT IS NOT A LONG-FOUNDEC INDUSTRIAL CENTRE. IT IS IN THE FAR EAST, IT IS PART OF ASIA AND ITS WORKING CONDITIONS, ITS WAGE RATES AND THE CONDITION OF LIFE OF THE PEOPLE IN HONG KONG HAVE TO BE SEEN IN THAT SETTING.
N. ROSS: SOME OF MR. KIDD'S ALLIES WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE
CRITI CS PUT IN THEIR SETTING TOO. THEY SUSPECT THAT TROTSKYITE INFLU ENCE IS AT WORK IN THE GROUP THAT RESEARCHED THE DETAILS. MR. EASY IS THAT GROUP'S CHAIRMAN.
MR. EASY: THIS IS A BASELESS CHARGE. I THINK THERE ARE NO MEMBERS OF OUR GROUP WHICH BELONG TO ANY POLITICAL PARTIES WHATSOEVER AND WE'RE NOT FUNDED BY THEM
?N. ROSS:
MR. EASY, ARE YOU YOURSELF A COMMUNIST?
MR. EAZY: NO, I'M NOT. IN FACT I USED TO BE IN THE HONG KONG POLICE FOR SIX YEARS.
ANNOUNCER: THAT REPORT BY NICK ROSS.
SENT 1200/16/9/74
HONGAID LONDON
MONSER LANCING
JFL:
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