❤go to. Now a case like this, what is the law to do? Punish the helpless mother, and keep her daughter in a convent or some charitable institution? Most of the so-called "child slavery cases are more or less similar to this instance. Your paper and the Chine Mail seem to have a clear understanding of the exist ing state of affairs.
"But do you say there is no cruelty ?" asked.
Our
representative
"Girls sold into other families, whether as adopted daughters or servant-girls,” replied Mr. Lau Chu Pak, are looked upon as members of those families. They are better fed and clothed and do lighter work than when they were with their own parents. In some cases, undoubtedly, indocile and mischievous girls are punish- ed by their mistresses but one's own children would be so punish- ed when they were disobedient and up to all sorts of pranks. In the
Case of ill-treatment by bad-tempered mistresses, the girl have their remedies here
28 they have on the mainland of China. They can tell their parents or guardians, when they come to visit them, or complain to the neighbours who would interfere and make things unpleasant for their mistresses. In Hongkong we bave the Chinese Secretariat, the Police Stations and the Society for the protection of women and children (Poung Kuk) to all of which the girlc can
·with their complaints which iwaya receive prompt attention. On the mainland there are also charitable institutions, elders of clans and other influential bodies who will attend to similar complaints if taken to them. For years in Hongkong notices 'informing the girls that they are free agents, and should report any ill-treatment have been post- ed up in brothels, etc., by the Government, and the Chinese know very well that cruelty to servants is not tolerated in this Colony."
Continuing, Mr. Lau Chu Pak said:-"Speaking from a human- tarian point of view, I am of the opinion that unless the wealthy class and the Govern- ment of China Co-operate in establishing foundling bouses and poor houses in every district to gather up the poor, support or finance them so as to enable them to live comfortably, it would only make matters worse by forcing the common people to end a practice to which stress of circumstances force them to resort, and which it is beyond their means to resist. It would seem to be more inhuman to starve millions of old and young by blocking up the last?
from which only resourÇE
can obtain some help to their winetes, unless
&
they were provided with the ways and means of maintaining themselves and their children.
Asked if he thought anything could be done to stop the practice, Mr. Lau Chu Pak replied:--" As a representative of the Chinese, I fail to see how, in view of exist- ing conditions, I could lend any useful assistance in suppressing what is complained of. It is a mode of life adopted by all ranks of the Chinese people and. what is more, a meang of helping the poor, relieving them of life's most important re- #ponsibilities which, if left to themselves, can never be dis- charged. So long as Hongkong lies at the door of China, and so long as the welfare of the Chinese in general has not been ameliorat- ed by their own government, it is more human to let the matter lie as it is. I may mention that, at ¡ the commencement of the
Republican revolution in China,'
movement along with other reforms was set on foot by those in power to abolish the custom, but it did not take these people long to find out that all their efforts in that direction were futile, for the simple reason that the feeding and lodging of mil. lions of destitutes in the flooded and famine-stricken areas were impossible to cope with, not to mention that hundreds of thou- sands of girls released simül- taneously would become uncon- trollable. The miseries consequent apon any State interference with- proper provisions, such
starvation and the Ukiller of children for WADI Fof food, would also have to he considered. In saying as I have said, I must not be taken to mean that I am against any reform. What I mean is that the conditions of the poor in China being such, it had better be left to public opinion instead of to law to gradually work a change. Their conditions are at present bad enough; but unless means were forthcoming to better then. any legal measure would only make them worse. As far as 1 am aware of, the home Govern- ment is in possession of all the facts of the case",
Qar representative asked Mr. Lau Chu Pak's opinion regarding the alleged trafficking which went on and in reply, he stated that the word “traffic" was ap- parently based on the money co 1- sideration. "Chinese wedding presents from the bride-groom's family to that of the bride consist of a sum of money, and so do tho.e in the ease of adoption, although different names are employ d for the monetary gifts. If, there- fore, where money is paid, it is (called “traffic", Chinese marriages and adoptions may also be called "traffoirg." At any rate, what we discuss now is La question di Chiques gocjal re-
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