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The Women and Girls Protection Ordinance gives the Registrar General very full powers of protection, but unfortunately it very frequently permits the criminal to escape unpunished. In every charge made under Section 3 (traffic in woman or girl), it is necessary to prove "purpose of prostitution." This purpose is in many cases obvious, but impossible of proof, as naturally the victim is not consulted and the arrests are made on arrival or departure from the Colony and not in a disorderly house. I question however whether it would be wise to extend the nature of an offence under this section. Intimidation and forcible detention are also very difficult of proof, but no amendment of the law can render the proof easier. There are two points on which, if public opinion supports it, an amendment would be justifiable and advisable. At present abduction with intent is only an offence in the case of girls under 16, and procuration the same. At home the ages are respectively 18 and 21. Physically a Cantonese girl may become adult sooner than an English girl, but it cannot be denied that from the nature of her upbringing a Cantonese girl of 17 or 20 requires just as inuch protection as an English girl of the same age.
3.
EMIGRATION.
CHINESE EMIGRATION ORDINANCE 1 OF 1889).
Table.
III. Return shewing the Number of Female Passengers and Boys examined and passed before the Registrar General under the Chinese Emigration Ordinance, 1889, during the year 1904.
Out of 11,521 persons examined by the Registrar General before embarkation, 135, or 1.2 per cent., were detained for enquiries. Of these, 74 (see Table II D) were ultimately allowed to leave without any order being made.
Intending emigrants are examined by the Assistant Registrar General, and where he suspects fraud or intimidation the Registrar General re-examines and decides as to whether detention is necessary or not. The first examination is neces- sarily of a cursory character, the time spent in examining 9,085 persons being 77 hours, but the large majority of the emigrants are obviously above suspicion, and nothing more than an examination of the photograph and a few questions are called for.
No tabulated record has been kept hitherto of the occupations of female emi- grants, but one will be kept in future. In Table II C, which shews the number of female emigrants detained under warrants, professed prostitutes have been dis- tinguished from women who claim to be respectable.
It has been said that the present system of examination and the possibility of detention act as a deterrent to respectable women emigrating. This is quite possible and I have known cases where it has happened. Last year, 51 respectable women were detained, and in the case of 21 of these, it was found on further examination that there was no cause for detention. But the cases of these women are invariably investigated the evening of their detention by the Committee of the Po Leung Kuk, and if the result of the investigation is satisfactory, they are released the next morning and enabled to proceed on their voyage by the steamer by which they have taken their passage. Two respectable women passengers by a steamer which left on the 25th January this year were detained for a night but allowed to proceed on their voyage after further enquiries, whilst among the passengers by a steamer which left the week before, there were two women and a girl posing as married women, who were discovered to have been carried off by robbers, but were in such fear of the kidnappers that even at their first appearance in Court they were afraid to give evidence against them. Fortunately their confidence revived, and the three men who were taking them abroad were sentenced to one year's hard labour.
One of the causes of the detention of women who are ultimately released is a habit they and their relatives have of inventing a story when they think the true facts will be disbelieved. The invention breaks down on examination and the suspicions of the examining officer are naturally aroused. Still there have been seve- ral cases where although the story told had obviously been fabricated I have thought the behaviour and appearance of the parties justified my passing them.