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fully their reasons for adhering to the distinction drawn in the notice as to admission but would state that were the Chinese to be allowed unrestricted admission during the hours the Museum would practically be closed to European ladies, respectable Chinese women, and also to almost all the European residents of the Colony.
The position that women hold in China and the fact that a Chinese lady seldom goes outside of the private apartments of a house renders it perfectly impossible for a large number of Chinamen to understand the freedom accorded to ladies in Europe and America. This fact above renders it extremely undesirable that ladies should only be able to visit the Museum when it is crowded with natives.
The personal habits of the Chinese of the lower classes, who are glad to observe flocking in large numbers to the Museum, who eat with them rice, and whose clothing in winter is not in the cleanest state and in summer is of the very scantiest description, are quite sufficient to discourage Europeans from visiting the Museum during hours when it is crowded.
The Committee would have wished to avoid putting forward such an argument but feel bound to do so when pressed for the reasons that have actuated them in the matter. The arguments that might be adduced with reference to such places as the public gardens are totally inapplicable to a room on some occasions visited by 4 to 5000 Chinese in one day, where the crowd occupies a very large portion of the space which is not great, and where the temperature for many months ranges between 80 and 100 degrees.
Another fact that the Committee would call to your Lordships' notice is the necessity that exists for closing the Museum in the middle of the day in order to allow of its being swept out and cleaned. The staff attached to the City Hall is, owing to financial considerations, kept as small as possible with due regard to the amount of work that has to be done, and were the Museum to be crowded all day long, a larger staff of employees would be required.
The Committee wish also to inform you that though