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mui-tsai would be definitely and clearly abolished and no new mui-tsais would be engaged: and the children who are now mui-tsais would become paid servants at the earliest possible date.
9.
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I should not anticipate that the Secretary for Chinese Affairs would be overwhelmed with applications to find other employment for mui-tsais. The issue of the proclamation directed in your telegram of 21st March has contrary to expectation not resulted in any appeals to the Secretary for Chinese Affairs and I think it may fairly be assumed that the vast majority of these girls are satisfied with their positions. The fact that they will receive wages will probably decide practically all of them to remain in familiar surroundings rather than risk a change to new work. It is possible, however, that in addition to any mui-tsais
who may desire to leave their present homes there will be
others whose employers are unable or unwilling to retain
their services if they have to pay them wages. It will be necessary to provide for such cases, but in the absence of any indication of what the mumber is likely to be it is
difficult to know what provision to make.
I cannot recommend at present the
establishment of an Industrial Home such as the Committee
suggest. Very heavy expense would be involved and very likely without due cause the number of girls who may need to be provided for may be only a few dozen at the moat. For disciplinary reasons, it would be necessary to run the institution on lines similar to those of a reformatory and to restrict the liberty of the inmates: it would therefore be unpopular and no girl would enter it if she could find any alternative work.
Moreover, such an institution could scarcely
be built and ready for occupation in less than two years at
the earliest by which time it may be hoped that any need for it would practically have ceased to exist.