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One of the Commissioners, the Rev. Mr. Wells, wishes the age to be thirteen (13) and not eleven (11) as above, and wishes the age of labour to be increased by one year every succeeding year, or as soon as possible, until child labour is entirely abolished.
This recommendation does not apply to children engaged in genuine domestic work, but it does apply to children employed in carrying paraphernalia in Chinese processions.
(3) That the hours of work for children do not exceed fifty-four (54) per week, that children be prohibited from working at any time more than five (5) hours consecutively, and that they be ensured one day's rest in every seven (7) days.
(4) That children be not employed between the hours of 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. No question of overtime or night shifts should be allowed to override this ruling, and the rulings laid down in sub-section (3).
We think that half time work should be encouraged and that children should be educated during the other half time if possible. Even if children have not been working during the day they should not be employed between the hours of 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. The intermit- tent sleep, which is the usual lot of workers on night shifts, is especially harmful to the physique of children.
One of the Commissioners, Mr. Chow Shou Son, is of the opinion that children over fourteen (14) should be permitted to work between the hours of 7 p.m. aud 9 p.m. provided that they have done no work during the day.
(5) That for the reasons given in Section 5 (2) children be not employed
in glass factories.
(6) That for the reasons given in Section 5 (3) children be not employed
in engineering works on the work of boiler chipping.
One of the Commissioners, Mr. Chow Shou Son, thinks that boys over fourteen (14) should be permitted to work at boiler chipping if their physical condition satisfies the Inspectors.
(7) That children be not employed in dangerous trades.
(8) That employers be compelled to provide accommodation, which can be used by workers during meal hours, and as a rest house for children taken to factories by their mothers; and further that they be compelled to provide suitable dressings and first aid appliances, which can be used in cases of accident, and to equip their factories with approved sanitary conveniences.
(9) That Inspectors be appointed for all classes of child labour, as the regulations proposed are obviously dependent on a system of inspection. Our intention is to avoid introducing a series of factory regulations which will merely lead on the one hand to "squeeze," and on the other to Police Court prosecutions; and it is, therefore, essential that Inspectors should be persons of standing. Unless knowledge, tact and sympathy are employed in the work of inspection, the system of regulation may degenerate into a number of irritating prosecutions that will do little good, and that will tend to the estrangement of the various sections of the community. We are convinced that the larger and more reputable factory owners will do their best to make effective any suggestions which the Government may make ; and the efforts of the Inspectors should be directed to co-operating with them in making the regulations known in the lesser factories. Only by educative co- operation can the best results be obtained from these proposals.