Hong Kong Metamorphosis

4.In at the Deep End

4฀ In a t th e Dee p En d Social Welfare Offic e Today, th e Social Welfare Departmen t i n Hong Kon g provides a massive array of social services of a quality secon d t o none i n Asia. I t i s staffed b y hundreds o f professionally traine d socia l workers an d extend s it s work t o all corner s o f society . O n reachin g th e ag e o f seventy , i t eve n pay s m y wife an d m e a non-means-tested pensio n o f about $70 0 (les s than £70 ) a month — whic h i s commonl y calle d 'frui t money' . When I was posted t o th e Social Welfare Offic e i n 1951 , it ha d bee n set u p i n th e offic e o f th e Secretar y fo r Chines e Affair s onl y thre e year s previously. W e wer e a very different lot . The office wa s based o n the Mu i Tsai Inspectorate , whic h I describe d i n th e previou s chapter . Th e Mu i Tsai syste m ha d largel y falle n int o disus e afte r th e war , bu t childre n i n need o f care wer e stil l found . The Social Welfare Office r wa s the boss and a Cadet Clas s I. I was his Chief Assistan t Social Welfar e Officer , a Cadet Office r Clas s II , i n effec t an assistant hea d of department no w at the ripe age of twenty-five. Ronal d Holmes wa s the Clas s I Cadet. H e ha d joine d th e government befor e th e war an d avoide d captur e b y th e Japanese durin g an d afte r th e battl e fo r Hong Kong . H e ha d a distinguished wa r recor d i n the British Arm y Ai d Group workin g i n China . H e gathere d intelligenc e abou t Hon g Kong , on on e occasio n eve n comin g dow n a s far a s the hill s behin d Ka i Ta k t o study th e plac e personally . H e wa s a mos t engagin g an d decisiv e ma n and I worke d wit h hi m i n severa l othe r context s late r on . 44 | HON G KON G METAMORPHOSI S We ha d thre e ver y fine an d dedicate d professiona l socia l workers , Dorothy Lee , Daphne H o an d Dian a Leung. These young ladie s togethe r with people in the voluntary agencies such as Kate Langford i n the Famil y Welfare Service , an d th e Jesuits , Fathe r Howatso n an d Fathe r Ryan , accomplished wonder s with very few resources i n their work among men , women, an d childre n livin g i n th e mos t appallin g conditions . Th e firs t professionally traine d probation office r ha d travelle d ou t on the same shi p with me . W e maintaine d a liaiso n wit h non-governmen t welfar e organizations whic h spran g u p t o provid e socia l service s tha t th e government coul d no t find tim e o r mone y for . Kaifong Welfar e Association s Social service s a t thi s tim e wer e o f th e mos t primitive . Ther e wer e no t even enoug h place s i n school s for childre n o f primary schoo l age . Queue s at publi c out-patien t clinic s involve d a n all-da y wai t fo r a two-minut e consultation i f yo u survived . Thi s wa s a n environmen t whic h crie d ou t for charit y an d th e good-hearte d responded . Th e churche s wer e i n th e forefront an d secure d considerabl e donation s fro m abroad . Bu t th e loca l businessmen too , responde d...