Today's National Administrative Meeting sponsored by the Executive Yuan is a significant occasion in the current stage of national development. Under Premier Sun Yun-suan's able leadership, the administrative workers of our country have been making exceptional contributions to both political improvement and administrative reform over a period of years. I am deeply appreciative of these achievements.
The Executive Yuan and provincial and municipal governments have held meetings each year to review and discuss administrative affairs. But this administrative meeting is not limited to the discussion and planning of localized and individual problems. This time we are emphasizing increased understanding of central policy, communication between central and provincial administrative authorities, and the advancement of local and grass roots construction. Special importance is attached to public opinion, service to the people and the protection and promotion of the public interest. We may say that this administrative meeting involves the study of how to carry out the views of the people on administration and how to develop the functions of modern politics.
The development of a modern democratic country can be roughly divided into three spheres providing mutual support: political development, or the participation in politics by all the people; economic development, or the improvement of life for all the people: and administrative development, or the raising of the level of the government's administrative efficiency. I can assure you that our country has never failed to move in this direction. Furthermore, as a result of the cohesion and cooperation of the people as a whole and of government workers, we have made tremendous progress in these three mutually sustaining spheres of political, economic and administrative development. This success has created for our country an important world image and model of national development based on the Three Principles of the People.
In consequence of our political development, participation in government has been enlarged and the function of democratic constitutional rule has been furthered. As a result of our economic development, the social welfare oriented economy has prospered and the economic structure is changing because of political and economic development, our society has succeeded and moved ahead day by day, bringing about changes in social conditions and structure. The related need for administrative development has consequently become more and more pressing.
This sums up our domestic situation at this time. On the other hand, however, we have had to cope with buffetings and turbulence on the international political scene and to shoulder up the heavy task of eliminating the Chinese Communists and reconstructing our country. Facing these complex changes and requirements of the present situation, we now must carry out national policy and principles by adapting and designing measures and approaches in conformity with our national system. From every point of view, we can see that the requirements of political modernization — administrative renovation, rectification of political morale and encouragement of the spirit of serving the people — have become steadily more demanding and called for additional effort.
My travels to visit various places have convinced me that we are making progress in general administration. This points up the hard work of our administrative workers, especially those at the grass roots. Still, I feel that renovation is required in two aspects. First, the work concept and methods cannot completely meet the requirements of a modem nation. I think this is mainly the result of insufficient on-the-job training. From now on, the Executive Yuan and provincial and municipal organizations should pay particular attention to both generalized and special training. Second, when the people have a problem, they do not know where to go for help or how to approach the government, and they may not understand the meaning of the statutes and regulations involved. When the people experience inconvenience, they may come to have doubts. I think this calls for more knowledge, understanding, patience, faith and initiative on the part of our colleagues at the grass roots level so that they can serve the people better explaining and helping solve problems.
I want to point out to you, my colleagues, that at this time when we are vigorously prosecuting the policy of national recovery and reconstruction and developing projects at local and grass roots levels, we must be sincere and earnest in administration and always seek improvement in practice so as to assure:
1. Participation by all the people — to enable everyone to concentrate mind and strength on the consolidation and furtherance of the political function of free democracy and to join in promoting prosperity at the grass roots level.
2. Communication with the people — to make everyone aware that all of the policy decisions of the government are centered on the interest of the whole people and thus lead the people to contribute to this common interest. The two-way traffic between government and people will have the feedback effect of promoting mutual trust, understanding and cooperation.
3. Cohesion of all the people — to assure that all are selflessly, closely and strongly united in the cause of anti-Communism and national recovery.
4. Stability for all the people — to provide realization that the social order involves the well-being of the individual, his family and society as a whole, thus enabling everyone to strive for an order of harmony, tranquillity and peace.
5. Progress by all the people — to foster the beginnings of advancement within the family and in grass roots construction, then continue with economic and social gains. Only when we are united can we have stability, and only when we have stability can we make progress.
Participating In this National Administrative Meeting are leading administrative colleagues of the central and provincial levels. Your discussions are aimed at strengthening local organizations, improving grass roots construction, raising administrative efficiency and strengthening services to the people. I hope all of you will grasp the central theme of the meeting and review the past and plan the future on a basis of your experience. I also hope you will exchange views on the points I have raised and thus heighten the spirit of your service to the people.
To summarize, we must be aware that:
- Nothing is bigger than the common interest of the people.
- No task is greater than that of national development:
- No mission is more urgent than that of anti-Communist national recovery.
I wish the meeting great success and good health to all of you.