THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS, MONDAT, AUGUST 1st 1931.
THORNYCROFT
JOHN I THORNTUBOFT & CO., LIMITED.
SHIPBUILDERS AND ENGINEZA,
Londen, SʊT MARSTON
AND BASINGSTOKE.
Shanghai Oce:
10,
Kiukiang
Road.
15 B.H.P. 30 B‚H‚P. 50 B.H.P. Engines
in Stock
"For quotation "apply-
26
BURBERRY'S
SHANGHAI OFFICE.
We have just received a large new consigament of Burberry" Raincoats in several styles and pleasing colourings, and we shall be pleased - If you will call and inspect them.
Quality, Style. Fit are all embodied in a "Burberry," but there is no need for us to praise "Burberry-" everybody knows a “Burberry" Raincoat is the very best obtainable.
"Burberry”? Raincoats
$90, $105, $120 & $140 pachi
MACKINTOSH & CO., LTD.,
Men's Wear Specialists,
16, Des Vauz Rd. Phone 29.
HONGKONG HOTEL
LIMITED
OPERATING----
HONGKONG HOTEL GARAGE
RUSSELL STREET GARAGE REPULSE RAY GARAGE
138
Telephone. No. 32 Telephone No. 659. Telephone No. 881.
SOLE AGENTS FOR HONGKONG AND SOUTH CHINA
FOR
BOLLS ROYCE
STUDEBAKER CORPORATION
WHITE COMPANY
UNITED STATES RUBBER CQ.
Cars. Care.
A. E. LE JEUNE
Commercial Trucks Tyres & Babber Goods Moter Car Mascota.
Ir
HEAD OFFICE AND SHOW ROOM "IN PEDDER STREET.
[346
WHITEAWAY'S GREAT SUMMER SALE
will commence on
TUESDAY, AUG. 2ad.
FOR ONE MONTH.
ENORMOUS REDUCTIONS
ENTIRE STOCK INCLUDED.
Send for Catalogue of Special Bargains.
SHOP EARLY !
SHOP EARLY !
Y! SHOP
WHITEAWAY, LAIDLAW & CO., LTD.
20, Des Voeux Road,
HONGKONG.
mui txi
purpose.
in
niears.
WHTO
A PROTRACTED DISCUSSION.
The subsequent proceedings occupied about two and a half hours.
Mr. CHAN Tong Yuno said he kept, ng servant-girls in his household; it was not very profitable to do so, but many did in order to assist needy parents unable to support their offspring. It was not right, he declared, to denounce this system, as people of feeling would not
Even parent hi sometimes to chastise children ir naughty behaviour. Careful investiga tion should be made into the system be for is waseappressed as he was conving that instances of cruelty were not re quent. The Chinese should form an Association to improve the conditions of domestic servants.
M. Pus Yar Kat gave an instance of arity to a mui tai. Having spoil some salt fish in the kitchen," "through ignorance of her duties, a mai . he Kid. was forced by her master to kneel on the floor. Every time she moved the In the painful position was whipped. she had th remain at the whim of her master: Another girl brought Bask from market the upper part of a duck instead of the leg as ordered. For this she was forced to kneel on an invertel chair and hold above her head a basin of water. Everytime her hands trembled For philanthropic and commercial rea The Hon. Mr. Ho Foor said: This and the water slapped over she was
beaten. sons, let conclusions be formed from the matter originated with an English lady.
Mr. Ho How Toso declared that tje particulars gathered as above.
Mes, Hazelwood, and her accusations
thr MAN There remain a few minor points to form the materials for discession at this previous speaker was
who: Before the system off be dealt with."
THE HON. MR. HO FOOK.
THE "MUI TSAI”. QUESTION. them. The prices paid for a girl vary not be more prominent discrimination girl so disposed of would be saved from between $10 and $15 for every your of than what is now already in existence, cold, and, hunger, There are others (Continued from page 30)
her age, 12, for a girl 4 years old $40] namely:-
who have to sell a daughter in order to 4. The Chinese Government has not up or 100 and so on. In the famine stricken The Chinese Ordinance: Secretariat obtain the wherewithal to tablish a to now enacted any law to prohibit the districts, the prices are lower. In the for Chinese Affairs, reserved residential will business to keep the remaining. system of anni til. At the commencement [last famine in North China, there were arras for Europeans; Chinese offenders members, of the family from starvation, of the Republic, the Commissioner of so many boys and girls dying of starrsalone sentenced to stocks and Hogging. The abolition of the mutant system Police of Canton attempt.d to do so. He tion that their parents begged to have dragged into today's discussion and i
ute. But this question should not be may lead to child destruction by drown
AP other ing, strangulation compelled most of those families who kept this taken of their hands for practic would not have mentioned it but for the There are several thousands of servant
give them up, and he had ally nothing but this was exceptiona amusing reference to the matter of racial girls in Hongkong and proper measures
sot dealing with parti discrimination by the Daily Pres. quins a large number of the lodged in cular incidents. Should a girl, die as
1 see before me many of you who do must first be taken for their enre before a building specially maintained for the whatever age after the sale, the not kopi tu, so that it cannot be
is any law
introduced.-Ni ever to be introduced-to abolish the Before long, however, he had chaser must pay her burial expenses, and said that the opinions which will be
Besides, Во good would bo this families concerned to take back is no right to demand the refund of expressed here all come from those who em the girls, because the latter, while in the the purchase money or claim compensaare benefited by the system. It is of no achieved by any prohibitive measures in care of the Commissioner clamours for tour for whatever money spent on her
adopted China Registration of the same kind of clothing and food, which maintainence np to the time of her death material, importance to me whether the Hongkong if similar measures were n
system will be abolished or not. What they used to enjoy in their former hues to the costs of a survant should be considered is how far will its servant-girls would necesitate periodical
domiciliary visits, which would inevit and those who were old enough either giri food, -élothing, "loctors fees and abolition affect the welfare of the poor,ably cause trouble and annoyance to the wanted him to procura for them hitable perioden veure and lodging and travel-
Why cannot wo Chinese takas husbands or begged to be allowed to gong expenses for her parents have and whether its abolition alone will im out to hant for husbands. « For the included in her bills and she drove the conditions of the girls and their people.
strong committed of younger ones, he had to employ amah, to begin to be really useful until rents. For instance, if the Hongkong up the matter ourselves by forming a
Government were to adopt to-day the society, with look after them. In short, he was pestur tots. When she is married sometium same measure as was adopted by the management, for the purpose of "in d with so great a variety of requests by to 20, 50 per cent. to Commissioner of Police of Cauton tea lightening and educating the masses in the girls, and worried so often by the of the wedding price, has to be
years ago, there would be handed over their duty towards their servant-girls, poor who volunteered, to hand their spent on her outfit, in addition to the to the Government ten to fifteen thousand and securing power to prosecute in cases daughters over to him to be brought up tips she has saved and the ornaments girls, some very young and some 17337- of cruel treatment of these girls: E that he became disgusted and gave the given her: which must be handed over ringeable. Would or could the girls be venture to commend this suggestion to attempt up as a hopeless job. It was also to her. A girl brought up in one's taken care of at the public's expense, or your consideration.—(Applause.) " suggested by some reformers that hath the family with ure's children, can be ex
would they be all returned to their Porcubine and servant-girl systems should pected to know one's ways and habits parents? And suppose many of the girls be abolished, but that suggestion was not hetter than a servant engaged by the refund either to be taken over by the adopted owing to its imprastienbiliti
month. Trented as a member of the Government or to go back to their - Girls sold to the wealthy families are family, a trained girl can be relied as a rubs welk off. doing very little work to take care of one's valuable this parents; would the Government go to the extreme of driving away all the faini- of these sold to the middleclass som hevn There is a portaatency of at least to les possessing such girls or compulsorily to work sirly hard, and others have light 10 years in a trained girl's service. In dragging the girls away and housing work, though not so well off as those soll the case of a conscientious girl, she still them elsewhere? If it was feared in It is more or köps her, relationship with the family the case of the proposed establishment to the wealthy families.
In the wealthy
which she was brought up after her at an industrial school or reformatory less a question of lucki families, the girls net as companions to marriage, thus komping up the ancient in Hongkong for the poor Chinese boys their masters children, wait on their system of mutual help and untual res who at present hawk in the street with cruel to mui fiei. mistress go on errands, do a little swponsibility, particularly in the case of our license and commit municipal and ing, when they have learned it, and attend fchildren's folk. On the girl's part, when criminal offences. that their number to the wants of female visitors when re- young shy is safe from starvation and would he increased by the uninterrupted niret. In the families of the middle has the chance of learning to sew and inflow of children from the mainland, is class they have to help in cooking, swing, read and acquire good habits, which. it not to be feared that while the number washing, cleansing and sweeping, carry as a poor man's daughter, she has not of mai sus was reduced, the number of ing light loads, marketing and such gr When grown up, she has the chance of prostitutes would be increased? Fos eral work as an ordinary man's own marrying alove her position us a poorter-daughters
and adopted daugh- daughters would have to do, were they man's daughter had when married inte tes" as you are well aware, are the with their parents; and they are sure of good family, she has the means of designations, generally used as a cloak their food and clothing, while with their benefiting her parents and her brothers, for purchasing girls for the purpose of parents, they would not be aim of either, if she has any. Many servant-girls base prostitution by a special class of people. The percentage of crows in whig thu been married into good familes and have have now laid bare all the circum- mistresses are exacting, bud-tempsied or bon the means of lifting up theit, par- stances which I have studied in relation cruel-hearted in revating their servant ents and brothers. In some village, to the subject and I will leave it to you girls is infiitesimal. These women would many girls are killed, when born, it nd
to formulate your replies to the ques- treat their own daughters no better, if one can be found to take them out, tions asked, and to make such suggest their daughters were as naughty, lazy Also in every district, when a pour matings as will tend effectively to prevent and disobedient as some of the servant- cannot earn nough to keep all the aimses, if abuses do exist to süchan girls are.. It is not of rare occurrence oaths of his family going, he is com.extent as require interferencs. that the parents of girls, who are pelled to get rid of his children or eve naughty, disobedient and with bad habits his wife, and at the same thing to lear are asked to take them back by paying his aged matter to public charity, back what they could, or, failing that. tu consent to their being transferral to some other families who would not mind having them. Except in eases, in which the girls have been sold in perpetuity fand these are comparatively few in the slaves was wroduced, sons and nephews fecting. It seems to me significant that should be punished for not having re proving of Kwongtung. wheter the did servitor's work for their fathers, and one of the many officials of our Cadet Ported the matter to the police. This majority of the Chinese in this Colony daughters and nieces for their mothers Service, who have successively pursued i was received with applause and come) the girls' parents are in contant and aunts Speaking literally the the study of the Chinese language, it was not until the gentleman castigat touch with them, and the masters or juniors waited on their elders morning panners and customs, in Canton, for ed had explained that the family lived mistresses are bound to let the girls in and evening, carrying out their orders long periods, have proposed the abolition Fatsbar that the meeting desire to. form them on their periodical visits, of and performing every kind of mental or control of the mai sus system, if that cord its strong disapproval was ap Mention of traffe in girls for sale the nature of the work they are required labour, which the elders ordered them to ratem is fraught with such abuses as
The perform, in addition to tilling their land are alleged To name a few, there were abroad was made by a member of the to do, and how they are treated.
They were
Say Henry May and Sir James Stewart girls parents can redeem them when and herding their cattle. ever they can afford to do it. and they get paid, for their labour, and when Lockhart, Mr. A. W. Brewin and Mrience whost remarks were not gene
country dialect. are often urged to do so by their daugh their elders were displeased with them. Cecil Clementi: there are Mr. C. Melally understood as they were made in ters or to find another good family to they had tu knot down with canes en Messer, Mr. E. B. Hallifax, Mr. E. D. C.
Some people bought girls to keep. take them over, if they feel that they are their backs and asked to be thrashed, and Wolfe, Mr. S. B. C. Ross and Mr. A. G.
children conpany. ccording to Mr. ill-treated The parents have also some even when they were ordered to dis, they M. Fletcher. Surely, these men's exper Chang Wan Shan, who demanded to yolce in the marriage of their daugh
Whether justly treated or not,ence and knowledge of the subject ters In ronny cats in the past, when they had no remedy. After slaves were canot be inferior to Ms. Hazelwood's know why rich men, who could afford to pay all the plugs they wanted, no suitable husbands could be found for created, sons and daughters, nephews There are six main questions before us. their daughters, they were asked to take and ricors were gradually relieved of and I hope you will give us the benefit should buy girls, unless they wished to
assist needy parenta. Many persons did yo them back to marry them on payment of such burdens which were shifted on tout your own unbiassed opinions.
the shoulders of the slaves. This system a sum mutually agreed upon. The mas
Taking the questions in order. Mr. Hat employ amabs because they were not always honest. A mui trui on the other ters generally check any harsh treatment has died out and bas, therefore, no bear- Fook said:--
hand was a member of the household. “L.--Prostitútes of the girls by their wives or concubines, ing on what we are now discussing.
mostly recruited But the word slavery" which is em from young girls brought up for the here and soll them to save them from Poor countrymen brought their children as they care too much for their good names to allow their women folk to go ployed by our "English friends is con purpose by a special class of women starvation. Only rich men could afford beyond certain limits. Whenever a girl nection with the mui tai system calla commonly known as tortoise womea." is badly treated, the other servants and for some explanation. As I said before. Dalike servant-girls, they are generally to buy children. He would suggest that instead of the present system under the neighbours are bound to know of when interviewed by their newspaper regarded as, or designated, adopted it, and the girl herself is bound to talk, reporters, its meaning depends very daughters and are not given menini which a girl did not regain her freedom nod in no few cases has she taken upon much on how it is interpreted. Accord work, so as to preserve their good looks made whereby the contract respecting a
until marriage, arrangements should be" herself to leave her mistress's house. ing to our point of view, what a father and the softness of their skin, with Whenever there is proof of cruelty even does on accumulating wealth and leaving view to their earning a good income could be converted into in the treatment of one's own children, it to his children is slavery. He labours in due course. In some cases, people artgage and be redeemable by the par- the Chinese public seldom let things rest hard to earn money for his children to live apon the prostitution of their own without making a noise. Cruelty, when enable them to live in comfort, while be
It is, however, very rare Mr. YEUNG: SHIC CHCEY declared that daughters. reported, is investigated and punished has to put up with all sorts of difficul that a servant girt is made to become in some cases girls bought as servant." by the focal authorities. Many girls who ties and worries. had learned hair dressing, sowing and humorously called mastery and ourselves prostitute, for the owner is generally girls were brought up for prostitution. other useful crafts refused to be mar slaves. In the same way I may be called deterred by the Inw which prevails both Some bad musters, even, sold them to to become prostitutes.. Tho to remain in their service for one or two and what I am doing may be called the sale of girls for the purpose of majority of mui taais were not educated. riod and bargained with their mistresses your slave because I labour for you in Hongkong and in China, prohibiting brothels
prostitution, years longer either with or without pay slavery. (Laughter and applause.)
There is a vast difference between they then lost all hope of marriage, In Should they be guilty of misconduct and after the expiration of the period, No mui tasi or servants do harder work
A slave re- any event it was impossible for a sor- went to work outside or continued in and get less reward than..the wife of a slave and servant girl.
Shu nains such not only in his own persvant girl fully to regain her freedom the employ of their mistresses at the farnier on the mainland of China. same rate of wages as they could earn gets up before day-light every morning, but in the persons of his descendants as marvinge made her subject to the outside. In short a servant-girl gen- tetebes water from the river or well, from generation to generation without whims of her new husband. Discursing erally works off her plodge in about eight cooks meals, cuts grass or trees for fuel cessation while a servant-girl becomes the question whether or
While in the service of on the hill side, helps in tilling and absolutely free upon her marriage. The
of their masters, the speaker asserted bet purchseer, in addition to her food, cultivating land, ends old clothing, system of slavery was abolished in the 8 were brought up for the pleasure that if a master did not take the girl clothing, medical attendance and other tears and feeds her children, rears fowls Taing Dynasty..
3.The object of acquiring servant as his own concubine be sometimes gave sundry articles which a girl requires, pigs, waits on her husband's mother, she participates in the tips usually given weaves ilath and makes threads, if the girls is mainly to provide domestic her to a friend for the same purpose. to the servants by the purchaser's friends knows how, washes clothing and pounds service. When and if the muster takes Slaves and servant-girls, now were quite and relatives. In not n for casos, a ser rice, besides many other household jobs a servant-girl as a concubine, as hap different from those of former times when vant-girl has accumulated fairly sub- In short she works unceasingly from day pens sometimes, it is generally done with they were taken because their parents stantial savings in this way. Besides she light until far into the night; day in the consent of the girl herself. Very had committed crime. If a girl were ill- has ornaments gives to her by her mis and day out, she toils the same. Even few casca bave been board of where treated she had only to go to the Secre treas for good conduct and faithful ser when her son has grown up and built up servant-girls have been resold after tary of Chinese Affairs and make a com vice. Sometimes the reward takes the a family of his own, her labour does not having been dishonoured by their mas
plint. Giving several instances form, of free release
cense, having then to help her daughter ters, for Chinese women and girls highly illustrate hia assertion the speaker 8. No well-to-do people would sell in-law in all she does. Her food and value their good name and chastity. If declared that servant-giris could be ill- their daughters to be mui laai. Those clothing are of the cheapest kind and such a thing happens, it is uni-kely that treated. "Obeying my orders," he said, who do have either boon reduced to often when her good man happens to be the parents of the wronged girl will re" I can make her lose all her freedom. straitened circumstances or driven from in a temper, she would be scolded and main silent with folded arma. place to place by want of work or by beaten. Women of her class abound in
4-The system of mui tadi has never can make her work at all hours of the day and night. I can make her famine. In some instances, to sell & every village and the mui trai re been abolished in China. Some years fan me do anything I like. Tho daughter, in her tender age is to save drafted from the ranks of their daugh
As the mothers have to strugglege, Chan King-wa, the Commissioner prostitute has a worse name than the her life, and at the same time to enable, tere. one to tide over bad times, or to prevent so hard to keep life going, it can wall of Police at Centon, made an attempt servant-girls but the prostitute lives in
towards being starved to death. And many a have to put up with. It is a common to drop the matter owing to the dit girl was presented to another master a a concubing she had a very unhappy daughter has been sold to defray burial sight to co young girls tending, coys ficulties he encountered.
5-In Hongkong, persons found guilty time, continued the speaker, if the prin- expenses and to pay the finer and other and cutting grass on the hill-side and levics made by the officials. For such carrying heavy loads to and from the of ill-treating their servant-girls have, cipal wife was, annoyed at the addition purposes, even many of the younger sons, fields. When those giris grow up, they in the past, been invariably punished to the family. In some casos girls were with imprisonment. When one's own given education at the expense of their have been sold. Sons cannot be redeem are married to men of their class. ed, because they are bought for adoption: Talking of racial discrimination which children are guilty of naughtiness of masters, but this was very infrequent. but girls can even if they have been the continuance of the mui Leai syston disobedience, they are mildly chastised, in other casos girls were bought 95 resold.
Girls are generally bought at is said to constitute, I am not sure what and one cannot Lud any good reason for silely for adoption but were soon trested "If it is meant withholding, such treatment in respect as servant girls, In this century such a ages ranging from 4 to 13.
They can
is really meant by it.
practice should not exist. (Applause.) not be expected to do beyond olds and that the system being a Chineza syston, of servant-girls.
6--Poverty being prevalent in China, Those members of the meeting attempt funds, until they are between the 12 Fetah Chitise and the British British, I many people with several children ing to defend the practies would fail
it allowed to remain, the Chines would of 10, and 12 Their actual period of Rervice is between 12 and 18. From 19an only say, and I think you will all ag would find it difficult to feed all of them. If they did not fail now then they would they begin to assert their rights and with me, that its abolition will not ad and consequently would have to self
(Continued on page s.)
or ten years.
had to
Hence, our sons are
למת
peased.
the
ents after a certain period.
Speaking against the mui tal system,
steps must necessarily be taken to marr cannot convert the two races into the least a daughter so that not only would fail nome day.. | them-or-other-arrangements made with same habits and thoughts.
There can there be one mouth less to food, but the
not servant
to.
EL