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250
GIRL SLAVERY IN HONGKONG By The Hon. Mr. LAU CHỦ-PAK
[The Hon. Mr. Lau Chi-pak has very kindly given us, at our request in the subjoined article, his views on the subject of Girl Slavery in the Colony. There is another school of opinion on this burning question, and we will endeavour in a future issue to submit this other side to our readers, in order that a clear riew of the question from all sides may be obtained. In a
final article we will sum up the matter from the Catholic and Christian standprint.—EDITOR.]
My Views on the Subject.
attain the desired effect. The famine now raging in Northern China has caused thousands of starving children to be on the market for practically nothing. It is obviously better, however evil it may appear in the eyes of modern civilization, to allow these children to be taken off their parents' hands rather than to starve. or to allow, as has frequently happened, new-born infants to be drowned.
And in Hongkong.
Of late my opinion has been frequently sought on this complex question, which has airused so much attention both here aud in England. At the beginning of last year, or perhaps in the latter part of 1919, the question came to the fore, when I gave interviews to representatives of the Hongkong Telegraph and the China Mail, which reproduced my words verbatim, and, if I remember rightly, more or less supported any views. I see no reason to change those views; on the contrary. I
In order to prevent in Hongkong that am more than ever convinced that public ill-treatment of girl-servants which some- opinion, rather than the law, should be times occurs when mistresses are ignorant relied upon to work an improvement on
or hot-tempered, or the girls depraved, a the system at present in vogne. As I Society or Association might well be formed have said before, I strongly condemn ill-preferably among Chinese women-with treatment of the young, whether of one's the object of visiting periodically Chinese own children or of servants; and this
homes to advise the women how to treat is effectively dealt with by the severe
their domestics as public opinion desires punishments mingistrates award to such
and demands. This suggestion of mine cases which should serve as a wholesome is already being considered by the Com- deterrent; but this alone is not sufficient,
mittee of the Society for the Protection of unless backed up by measures possessing
Women and Children; and with its assist- educational values.
ance I have every hope that a practical scheme will soon be evolved to help the Government in its efforts to effect improve- meats where these are required.
State of the Question in China. On the mainland of China, prominent Chinese have, by precept and example, endeavoured to create a wholesome public opinion on the subject, which should in time spread its salutary influences over the land. Owing, however, to insufficient attention on the part of the ruling powers to the needs of the ever-multiplying population of China, these individual and praiseworthy efforts have hitherto failed to
Present Impossibility of Abolishing The System.
As regards the abolition of the system itself, I can only repeat what I have said before, that it would die a natural death if only the conditions of the millions of Chinese poor could be improved, but that, until such time, prohibition would [ 278 ]
PA.115.
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