ENG-1971 — Page 43

20

REVIEW

consolidation, piecemeal expansion and unco-ordinated enthusiasms have given way to re-examinations of policy in almost every branch of the Government.

All that has been achieved during the past decade, as much as at any time in the past quarter century, has been the toil of Hong Kong's own people, creating their own wealth with few natural resources and with the minimum of outside aid. The land has been visibly small, the capital substantially generated on the spot upon an original basis of services for exchange of goods, and both devel- oped by an unremitting co-operation of managerial and workmen's labour. It would be impossible to name all those people and organisa- tions in all walks of life who have taken part in this task, nor even their leaders. But much credit must be given to Sir David Trench, under whose administration Hong Kong attained a peak of prosper- ity and opportunity unprecedented in its history. This was achieved despite a temporary setback in 1967 during the confrontation with local communists, which fainthearts exaggerated at the time but which the clear response of the people to his leadership condemned to failure.

The task that lies ahead now is to ensure that the efforts of both the community and the Government are used in the properly planned and common objective of raising the social benefits and standards of living for all and of making Hong Kong a better place in which to live. The new Governor, Sir Murray MacLehose, has made his hopes known, and the public service has pledged its loyal and total support to ensuring that he is not disappointed.