Sir,
Translation,
Po Leung Kuk Letter No.30.
148
Yesterday Mr. Li Po Kwai and Mr. Lo Cheung Shiu came at your direction and consulted with us about the keeping and maltreatment of maid-servants. The purchase of most of Chinese maid-servants is due to their parents being unable to keep them because of poverty, and selling them. They are married or allow- ed freedom to earn their livelihood anywhere, when they come of age. Though there have been cases of maltreatment of maid-
servants, most of them are well treated. Of the 300,000 or 400,000 Chinese residents in the Colony, many have maid-servants but each year only a few cases of cruelty to them occur. We believe all the others must be well treated, and only a few are ill-treated. We very much appreciate the Goverment taking steps against ill-treatment of maid-servants, and are anxious to offer
our assistance. We propose that pamphlets should be distributed
among the various families that have maid-servants, calling them
to show sympathy and compassion, and thus, we hope, ill-treatment
will be decreased to a certain extent. We beg that you will have
the pamphlet drafted, and send us the draft, and we will have it
distributed. Further we should be glad to know if you have any
suggestions.
With regards,
Dated 24th January, 1921,
Kwok Shiu Lau and other Directors,
The Po Leung Kuk.