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Enclosure 1 in No. 18.
Extract from the South China Morning Post, dated 11th April, 1927.
THE MUITSAI EVIL.
RESUSCITATION OF LOCAL SOCIETY.
Committee Formed.
After a considerable lapse of time, the Anti-Muitsai Society, formed several years ago for the purpose of combating some of the evils of the Chinese domestic service sys- tem in Hong Kong, held another general meeting at the Chinese Y.M.C.A. headquarters at Bridges Street on Saturday afternoon. The rainy weather kept many from attending, but there were a sufficient number of the thousand odd members present for the purpose of carrying through some pressing matters.
A review of conditions since the local Ordinance came into force was given by the Chairman, who expressed dissatisfaction that much of its desired effectiveness had been lost through the apathy of those concerned, and he proposed a large committee of 37 with ample powers to go again into the subject and carry on with the actual work of the Society.
Dr. Yeung Shiu-chuen presided over the meeting, and supporting him were Mr. Ngan Kwan-yue (Hon. Chinese Secretary); Mr. C. G. Anderson (Hon. English Secretary); Mr. Lam Woo (Hon. Treasurer); Mrs. Ma Ying-piu, a wellknown local Christian worker, Mr. Mak Mui-sang, Mr. Hung To-fei, Mr. Wong Kam-ying, etc.
The Chairman in his opening address, after retracing the history of the movement, said that an annual meeting should have been called according to the original regulations, but the period through which they had been passing was exceptional, and many of the thousand odd members of the Society had left Hong Kong, and in other ways made the work of the Hon. Secretaries difficult in keeping touch. However, it was felt that if the movement was not to peter out, for want of popular attention to an evil which still existed in their midst, it was necessary to call another meeting.
Investigation.
Those members who were now present would be asked to elect a large and repre- sentative general committee of no fewer than 37, who would further investigate local conditions and maintain the desired contact with responsible Government officials,
The Chairman pointed to the "go-ahead" action of the Canton Government, which, as they all knew, had promulgated a law for the entire suppression of the mui- tsai form of domestic service, and had gone further than the Hong Kong Ordinance by striking at the very root of the evil. They were reminded that the evil still existed in Hong Kong, despite the Ordinance, by the cases which from time to time came up before the local courts. In one of these they had the glaring instance of a Chinese woman, a well-known member of society, being prosecuted for ill-treating her muitsai.
The fact that the offender was sent to prison was but small satisfaction to the Society, as in any case the stigma still attached to Chinese nationals. If by a measure of enlightening propaganda they could achieve their purpose without resorting to more dras- tic steps, then it would seem that the local Ordinance in its present form was sufficient. Otherwise, the attention of the local authorities would have to be again called closely into the problem.
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